This Sleepover Was A Stupid Idea
by Covered-in-Papercuts
Summary: After the events of loverofpiggies' comic "Christmas Party AU", or "CPAU" for short, the crew decides to get together again for a slumber party. The group explodes into chaos on more than one occasion, but that's the least of Sci's worries. After all, his feelings for Edge still haven't faded. His secret eats away at him from the inside out.
1. One Spot Left

It had been a while since the insane interdimensional Christmas party- Perhaps a month or so. Despite all of its drama, it was probably the most fun Sci had in a long time. Maybe ever. It almost hurt to think about. He didn't know if he'd ever get to see them again. Especially his partner in crime, Edge. When he got home, he thought the feelings towards him would fade as he began to sober, but things only got worse. No matter what he did, he couldn't get him off his mind. Even when he thought he was fine, the feelings would come back all over again out of nowhere.

Then one day his Multiverse Mailbox began to chime. It was a message from Blue inviting everyone over for a sleepover.

It was everything he hoped it would be. The chaotic fun nonsense, the happy atmosphere… It was all perfect. Catching up with Fell was easily the best part. There were points where those… _feelings_ would creep up on him out of the blue, but he did his best to smother them. Things were going so well. He didn't want to scare him off. It was no problem, though. He had everything under control.

But then bedtime rolled around. Everyone claimed a spot, and soon the only one left was between Edge and the wall. He was already asleep. He hadn't even bothered to take off his jacket. Sci's face flushed.

"Is… That the only spot left?"

"Yeah. Sorry it's kinda crammed. But I figure since you and Edge get along so well you wouldn't mind." Underswap Papyrus answered from the couch.

Sci scanned the room for Classic Sans. He was aware of his situation. Maybe he could intervene somehow. But no- He was on the other side of the room, already out like a light. He looked to Geno hopefully, but he was distracted. He struggled to pull a pillow from Death, who was smiling smugly. Sci looked around nervously. There was no way out.

"UM."

"Is there a problem?" the sleepy carrot asked.

"Oh no! Is there particular reason you wouldn't want to sleep next to Edge?" Blue asked.

"Yeah, Sinner…"

Sci looked over to see Fresh staring at him with a cheshire smile.

"Is there?" he asked.

Sci stood frozen, blushing wildly. The others exchanged glances in confusion. He looked down at the small spot they had left him. Edge had turned to face the wall. The two would practically be spooning. He looked back up at Fresh.

"Well, homeslice? What's the word?"

"Just lay down already!" Error yelled.

He had no choice. If he tried to come up with an excuse, he'd look suspicious. It would only be a matter of time until they all found out. And if they knew, then soon he'd know, too. He glared at Fresh.

"No. I'm fine."

He walked closer to his spot, then hesitated.

"Go on, brosiff," Fresh urged.

"Shut up."

He laid down, facing the wall. He could practically feel Fresh staring. After a while, though, the awkwardness faded. Especially after they turned out the lights. Soon everyone was fast asleep except for him.

He could feel Edge's breath on the back of his neck, sending jolts down his spine. They were so close… He refused to think about it. He could get through this. It was just one night. He was a man of logic and reasoning. If anyone could control his emotions, it was him, right? He stared at the wall ahead of him until sleep finally took him.

When he woke up, he couldn't remember where he was. All he knew was that he was the most comfortable he had ever been. He could feel his back pressed against a wall, cushioned by a mess of blankets and pillows. Something else was wrapped completely around him. It was soft, but a bit too heavy to be a blanket. He opened his eyes to see some sort of white fluff. That's when it hit him. His face flushed hard, and his eyes flashed forest green. That strange hollow ache was back again- the one that some called "butterflies". His mouth felt dry.

 _'_ _This can't be happening…'_ He thought to himself _'This can't be HAPPENING!'_

Thousands of feelings rushed through him at once. Luckily the lights were still off, and it didn't sound like anyone else was awake.

The question _'Why?'_ repeated in his mind. Everyone had their quirks when asleep. Some snored. Some talk. Some toss and turn. He had expected Edge to be the violent type- The kind to subconsciously punch someone if they so much as brushed up against him. But instead he was the complete opposite. A cuddler. Of course. That was just his luck.

 _'_ _Why, Edge?! Why are you making this so difficult? How the hell am I supposed to act straight around you when you do shit like this?!'_ The voice in his head screamed.

He had to get free before anyone saw. What would they say? What would _he_ say? Every worst case scenario played through his head at once.

It took a lot of willpower to want to get free. He had felt electricity before in those brief moments where they had accidentally touched. But now there was hardly an inch on his body that wasn't in contact with him. What was electricity before was now a lightning storm. He moved slightly, trying to wriggle his way free, but Edge held tighter.

 _'_ _Oh god…'_

He moved again, but there was no escape. Edge was wrapped around him like a vice. A deep, possessive growl began to rumble in his ribcage, as if someone was trying to take Sci away from him. Sci stopped struggling. If he had been standing, he would have swooned. A quiet, involuntary whimper escaped him. He went limp in Edge's arms, completely and hopelessly enamored.

 _'_ _I'm so screwed,'_ He thought to himself before drifting off into a love drunk daze.


	2. Don't Startle The Edgy Skell

Sci awoke again several hours later to a soft noise. He found that had nuzzled himself closer into Edge's ribcage in his sleep. He laid in silence for a little while, feeling high. He would've been happy to lay there forever if he had the chance. Briefly he wondered was was going through Edge's head. Was there even a fraction of a chance that he felt the same way? A sinking feeling brought him back down the Earth. He tried not to think about it, but once the floodgate opened it couldn't be stopped. He doubted that this meant anything to him. He probably just wrapped himself around whatever was closest. Edge would never care about him that way. Where he came from, love was seen as a weakness. He couldn't imagine his what his reaction would be if he found out how Sci felt.

' _Disgusting. Weak. Pathetic.'_

Sci internally scolded himself. Why did he care so much?! What exactly was he hoping for? Edge was an alternate version of the _same person_. He was literally another version of himself. A strong, growly, badass version of himself with a strangely addictive scent and a husky accent that he could listen to all day… What was he thinking?! What kind of narcissist was he? His head began to spin out of control. Edge stirred, pulling Sci tighter. Another wave of comfort washed over him. The voice in his head went silent, but the pit in his core remained. He hid his face in Edge's jacket. He was afraid of how much his expression revealed.

Suddenly, he heard fabric rustle on the other side of Edge. Someone got to their feet. Anxiety sent pinpricks across his cheekbones. Like a deer in headlights, he stayed frozen in his compromising position with no means of escape. He considered trying to worm his way free, but if Edge reacted the same way he did last time, there was no way they would go unnoticed. And on top of that, he doubted he could hide his reaction, either.

' _Maybe if I don't move, they won't notice.'_ His inner voice mused amidst the internal screams.

They quietly approached, then stopped at their feet. Red hot panic burned him from the inside out. If his eyes had been open, they would've been dark and hollow. There was a quiet clicking sound. Sci couldn't quite place it. Maybe he had cracked a knuckle or stepped on a cracker. It was hardly even audible. But that didn't matter. In the blink of an eye, Edge was on his feet, his left eye blazing red. A cage of bones spiked up from the ground around them, angling outwards.

"Woah!" A familiar voice cried.

Luckily, the small figure was quick. He jumped backwards, landing on one knee. Even with the blur of motion, Sci recognized the blue scarf. It was just Swap Sans, and yet Edge was staring him down like a cornered animal. He stood over Sci, almost as if he was... Guarding him?

"BACK OFF!" Edge roared.

His fingers curled like claws, and Blueberry's soul began to glow in his rib cage. Suddenly he was yanked into the air and then slammed into the opposing wall.

"Edge, wait! It's me!"

Blue tried to snap him out of it, but it was no use. Words didn't matter. He was running on instinct. Everyone began yelling at once.

"What the hell?!"

"What's going on?"

"PUT HIM DOWN!"

A gaster blaster with bright orange eyes began to form over their heads.

"Papyrus, NO!" Blue yelled, "He's just confused!"

The blaster didn't leave, but the charge stopped. Sci stared into it's mouth like the barrel of a cannon.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Underfell Papyrus' voice carried over the others, "PUT THE BLUE WELP DOWN AT ONCE," he commanded.

Edge made a double take. Sci scrambled to his feet and grabbed his arm. He flinched, looking down at Sci's hand with wide eyes, and then up at him.

"It's okay! It's just us! You're at a sleepover, remember?"

Edge's eyes darted around the room. His breathing was uneven.

"Last night, we were roasting marshmallows. And we were going to light some fireworks, but Error threw them into the bonfire and we had to take cover. Then we made prank calls and your brother made a stranger cry!"

Edge's expression softened. He looked lost.

"And Blue started a pillow fight so you used an entire mattress! I attacked them from behind while you had them distracted."

His arm fell, and the cage around them faded. Blue dropped to the ground. He clutched the fabric over his chest.

"Don't startle me like that! You gave me a fuckin' heart attack!" Edge yelled. Despite his frustration, he sounded relieved.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you!"

Papyrus still stood at the back of the room with one eye burning orange. Sci clung to Edge's arm and watched apprehensively. The blaster faded a few moments later. As the conversation continued, the carrot wadded through the pillows and blankets and stood between Blue and the 'fell, slightly off to the side so that he didn't obstruct their view. Sci could tell that he was making an effort to appear casual about it, but it wasn't fooling anyone. The poor guy probably wouldn't be able to relax again for a while. The tall skeleton put his hands in his sweatshirt pockets, his eyes wary.

"Wow," said Classic Sans "Underfell really _is_ hellish, isn't it?"

Sci had been thinking the same thing. He had never seen such clear symptoms of PTSD before in his life.

"What? Nooooo, it's a land full of rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine. People crawl through your window at night to leave you cookies and sing you lullabies," Edge replied sarcastically.

The pieces were beginning to fall into place. Sci's bedroom window made a clicking sound when opened. He never bothered to figure out why. If Edge's window worked similarly, that would explain his reaction to that strange clicking sound he heard earlier. Sci felt a twinge of concern. How many times have people tried to kill him in his sleep? How many times did he lay awake, afraid to fall asleep and leave himself vulnerable? He wished there was some way he could've helped.

"I'm sorry…" he said softly.

The concern in his voice must've caught Edge off guard, because suddenly his scowl fell. His pupils went white. There was a hint of guilt in his expression.

"Naw. Don't be. I'm the one that should be sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out like that…"

He put a hand on the back of his neck and avoided eye contact.

"It's okay! I understand," Blue replied.

As the tension in the room died down, Sci couldn't help but wonder… He and Blue were both good friends of his. Why did he attack one and not the other? In his triggered state, why didn't he see Sci as an enemy as well? He didn't know it, but his cheekbones were a light pink. He just couldn't get it out of his head. He tried to come to some sort of logical conclusion, but it was difficult when it felt like his insides were made of fluff.

 _'_ _I wasn't the one who startled him. That's probably why,'_ He told himself, hoping that logic would help get his head screwed on straight.

It didn't work.


	3. Blackmail

Fresh waltzed into the room, half a poptart in hand. There was a slight bounce in his step.

"Wiggidy what's up my homeslices?" He looked over at Edge and Sci "And my cute, cuddly lil sinners." He added smugly.

He _saw._

Sci looked down to see that he was still clinging onto Edge's sleeve. He let go and quickly took a step back.

Meanwhile, Fresh turned to the others and spoke before they could process what he had just said.

"So what'd I miss all up in pillow central?"

"Edge tried to kill Blue," Error blurted, not caring to add any more details.

"Yeah. It was kinda cool," Death chimed it.

Sci shot a glare at the two of them, but they were both too engrossed in their phones to see it. Error was messing around on some kind of game while Death was updating his social media.

"What?! Totally unrad, brosiff. Are you tryna take over the Friend Club with Scidawg again?"

Blue laughed. There was something about his giddiness that was unnerving. Edge and Sci had lightheartedly hinted at the possibility of a second attempt at conquest a couple times the night before. Sci wondered if they would come to regret it.

"Oh, no. I just startled him awake is all. They _definitely_ wouldn't want to do _that_."

Edge cocked his head. A hint of a mischievous smile was on his face.

"Yeah? And what makes you so sure?"

"Edge, wait…" Sci warned. He had a bad feeling about this.

Blue pulled his phone out of his pocket and lightly tapped the camera on the back. His smile widened.

"I have my reasons."

Fresh's face lit up. He looked like he was about to say something when Blue gestured for him to stay quiet.

Sci felt chilled down to the marrow. The inner light in his eye sockets disappeared. It felt as though his soul had been knocked out of his body. That click from earlier…He should've known.

"No…" He whispered, mortified.

"'No' what?" Edge asked, completely out of the loop.

"Yep!" Blue replied cheerfully.

"You didn't."

"I did."

"He did what?" Edge asked.

"Blue, please," Sci begged, ignoring Edge's confusion.

"'Please' what?!"

Blue walked up to Sci and put an arm over his shoulders.

"WHAT IN THE- IS ANYBODY GONNA TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" Edge yelled. His tone had escalated from mildly annoyed to completely pissed in a matter of seconds. His red eye returned, burning like a hot coal. Sci was too panicked to notice.

Blue shoved his screen in Sci's face. The picture folder was open. There was a lock symbol over each tiny thumbnail.

"Don't you worry, Sci! See? You're safe and sound! And as long as you and your angry 'buddy' over here don't start any trouble, you'll stay that way!"

Fresh was straining to stay silent. He had his hands over his massive grin. Tears were welling in his eyes from holding the laughter in.

"Did you just _threaten_ him?!" Edge yelled.

Sci couldn't take it anymore. All of this anxiety left him feeling sick. His head was spinning. He contemplated teleporting out of the room, but with Blue hanging on him, he's just end up taking him with. There was no escape. He had no doubt that much was intentional.

"Whoa there, friend! You don't look so good. Maybe a little breakfast will make you feel better! What do you say we all head over to the kitchen? We could eat breakfast and play board games!"

"Sure. Pretty sure my bro's making spaghetti for breakfast. It should be done pretty soon," Classic Sans agreed awkwardly. He seemed more than ready for the conflict to be over.

"Is Geno there?" Death asked, finally looking up from his phone.

"Yep."

"Nice."

Everyone started moving towards the kitchen. Sci grabbed Blue's wrist just as he was about to leave. He waited until the room was almost empty. Edge stayed put, refusing to leave without an explanation. He had no idea just how screwed he was.

"So you weren't the first one awake?!" Sci asked in a hushed voice.

"No, but it's okay! Without my impeccable observation skills- and the position of my bag- I wouldn't have noticed!"

"NOTICED WHAT?!" Edge yelled.

"ARE YOU SURE?!" Sci asked, ignoring Edge's question.

"Yes! I am certain they would've said something about it by now. Your secret is safe with me!"

"WILL SOMEONE ANSWER ME?! THIS IS REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME OFF!"

"Hmm… Looks like he doesn't remember," Blue looked over at the fuming cherry and cocked his head.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"Don't worry, Edge! Sci will fill you in!" Blue answered cheerfully.

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Sci yelled.

"See you in a bit! Toodles!"

Blueberry skipped into the other room, leaving Sci alone with Edge. It seemed he had no problem throwing Sci under the bus.


	4. The Exception

"What did that little shit do?! Did he hurt you?!" Edge asked, fuming.

"No. Not technically," Sci answered dryly as he kicked at a blanket on the ground.

"'Not technically'?! Alright, THAT'S IT! I'm kicking his ass."

Edge took a step towards the door. Sci caught his arm.

"NONONO, PLEASE NO! One wrong move and we're both screwed!"

Edged paused to consider what that could have meant.

"What, does he have blackmail or something?"

Sci didn't respond. Edge took his silence as confirmation.

"Like what? I know I ain't exactly innocent, but what could he have on you? Have you been doin' some sketchy experiments in the lab?"

"No- well, sorta- but that's not-"

Sci covered his mouth. He realized immediately that he should've just said 'yes'. The words just spilled out of his mouth faster than he could stop them. Before Edge could ask anymore questions, he turned around and flopped face first back into his bed of blankets and pillows. It still smelled like him. Sci's nonexistent heart skipped a beat. The feeling was quickly followed by a crushing sense of self hatred. He sat up quickly and leaned against the wall with his legs pulled close to his chest. He pressed his palms into his forehead. With every second, his breathing quickened.

"I can't do this. I CAN'T DO THIS!"

"Damn. Whatever dirt he has must be pretty bad to have you worked up like this."

"I don't want to talk about it- _Please_ don't make me talk about it," Sci spoke so quickly that everything sounded like one long word, "If you knew the truth, you'd hate me! You'd hate me like _I_ hate me!"

"Hey, relax! Whatever it is, I'll bet you 9000g that I've done worse."

Edge tried to reassure him, but it didn't seem to do any good. He looked down at him helplessly. Usually he was the one having the panic attack, not the other way around.

"You know what? I'll be back. Just uh...Just breath, alright?"

Sci nodded.

"P-Promise not to attack anyone?" Sci managed.

Edge sighed.

"Fine."

While Edge was gone, Sci managed to calm himself down a bit. After he had witnessed Edge's first panic attack, he had done some research on how to help pull people out of them. He didn't exactly expect to be using the techniques on himself, but it helped just the same. He focused on his surroundings, like the color of each of their blankets, or texture of the thick shag carpet, counting as he took each breath. A few moments later, Edge came back with some pop tarts and a couple of juice boxes. He sat down next to Sci, a little closer than usual, and set some in front of him.

"Here. I thought a little food might help."

"Thank you," Sci said quietly.

"It's no big deal. Are you gonna be alright?"

Sci didn't know how to answer. Instead, he started slowly peeling back the wrapper of his poptart.

"Look, Nerd… Normally I wouldn't ask. 'Specially since it's bothering you so bad. But earlier, Blue made it sound like I was involved somehow...?"

His soul felt as though it had been twisted into a knot. Sci pulled the wrapper back over the poptart and set in in the floor. He felt too sick to eat. He stabbed at his juicebox with the straw and took a long sip and secretly wished it had been spiked. Maybe that would make this whole situation easier.

"It's okay. I get it. There's shit I don't wanna talk about, too. I was just curious."

Relief washed through him like a breath of fresh air, but it was quickly poisoned by guilt. Edge deserved to know. He was just too much of a coward to tell him. He subconsciously leaned into Edge for comfort, then took a deep breath.

"I have a question," Sci said, forcing the words out before he could stop himself.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember anything from last night? Anything… Out of the ordinary?"

"This entire fucking sleepover has been out of the ordinary. You mean the fireworks thing?"

"No, I mean after we all went to bed."

"Oh. No, not really. Why? Did I kick you in my sleep or somethin'?" Edge asked, sounding uncharacteristically worried.

"What?" Sci asked, stunned "No, not at all. Do you... Do you usually lash out in your sleep?"

"Well you saw me earlier. I get jumped a lot back at home, so…"

Sci's face flushed hard. Giddy energy welled in his chest. The butterflies were back again in full force. He covered his mouth in an attempt to hide his expression, but it was pointless. Edge had already caught it.

"What? Why? What happened?"

"NOTHING! Nothing!"

"You're a shitty liar, Nerd."

"It's just- Uh-" Sci stammered.

 _'_ _It's just that I'm the exception.'_ The voice in his head finished his sentence. He blushed harder. Quickly, he pulled his hood over his head, then down over his face.

"Come on! You're killin' me! WHAT HAPPENED!"

Edge grabbed onto Sci's arm and held tight. If Sci hadn't been hiding his face, he would've caught how red Edge's face had become. Meanwhile, beneath his hood, Sci was smiling like an idiot.


	5. Like Ripping Off A Bandaid

The joy didn't last long, though. Sci felt his soul drop. As he analyzed his situation, ice crept outward from his chest.

 _'_ _No,'_ His head yanked his heart by the leash.

He couldn't allow himself to celebrate. He hated developing crushes in general, but _this?_ This was depraved in more ways than one. Though Edge was different enough to be considered a different person, he was still another Sans. Entertaining these hopes only served to feed what was already festering inside him.

 _'_ _That's it. This has to stop. This is going to end in heartbreak anyway. There's no point in putting it off.'_

He steeled his heart and clenched his jaw. He had to burn this thing inside him, even if it meant burning with it. Maybe an agonizing rejection was just what he needed to get these feeling to stop. He knew what he had to do.

"Alright. I'll tell you. Or rather, show you. But it was an accident. On both of our behalves. So… Please don't hate me, okay?"

Sci got to his feet.

"Stay here."

He started towards the other room and hesitated in the doorway. Fear locked up his bones.

 _'_ _Come on, Sci. You can do this,'_ he urged himself forward.

Still, his body wouldn't obey.

 _'_ _You're just showing him the photo. It's not like you're confessing your love to him.'_

The L word hit him in the chest like a hot knife. Part of him always knew, but he hadn't admitted it to himself before then. This wasn't just a crush. Their bond was much deeper than that. And now it was all going to end. It was hard enough getting him to open his mind to friendship. What he was about to show him was crossing a line, regardless of who was really to blame. He was about to lose his greatest ally... His best friend… All because he couldn't managed to tear himself free from Edge's arms the first time he awoke. And all because Blue couldn't pass up an opportunity for blackmail. Sci held his breath and bit back a sob. His hands were balled into fists at his sides.

As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, he was hit by the bizarre scent of Italian seasoning and syrup combined. The room was crowded and chaotic. At least three different conversations were going on at once. The dissonance only made things worse. He walked over to the counter where a group was sitting in tall stools, eating spaghetti. Classic Papyrus, Fresh, and Error were in a tight group, and Blue was at its center. He was mid-sentence when Sci pulled at his scarf.

"Blue. Get out here. Now."

Blue looked down. A chill went down his spine. Sci was staring up at him with an expression of cold hatred. His eyes held no light.

"Wha- Oh! Uh- Hey, Sci!" Blue hopped down to the ground, "Did you tell him yet?"

"No. I can't," He grumbled as he grabbed Blue's wrist, "You're going to."

"Wait. Before I leave…" Blue tapped Error's arm. He flinched hard at the sudden physical contact, then turned to face him. "Error, could you do me a huge favor and make sure no one follows us into the next room for the next few minutes? We need to talk."

"Permission to use force?"

"Granted."

Sci began dragging Blue out of the room before their conversation was over.

"Then yes." Error said with a smile.

"Thank you!" Blue called back.

Sci's grip seemed to tighten with each second.

"Geez, Sci... You're a lot stronger than you look."

Edge got to his feet as the two of them entered the room. Blue contemplated pulling his arm free, but instead he kept a close eye on Edge's expression. Sure enough, his cherry red eye flickered uncomfortably down to Sci's hand. It was a small gesture, but it told Blue more that Edge ever meant to reveal. He smiled despite the pain in his arm. Sci stopped in front of his angry counterpart, refusing to let go. He wasn't about to let him teleport out of the situation. At least, not without taking Sci with him.

"Do it," Sci commanded. His voice was void of emotion.

"Do it?" Blue repeated, confused.

"Type in the password then hand me the phone. Or kill me. Either one."

"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't do that!"

"Which one?"

"Either! You're clever, but it's not going to work! I know if I hand you my phone you'll smash it to pieces." He pulled out his phone with his free hand and began typing, "And no matter how many times you try to overthrow me, I'll never kill you. I promise!"

Edge took a small step closer.

"How 'bout we kill you instead? How's that for a plan?"

Blue smiled.

"Aw, you don't wanna hurt your old friend, do you? I'm not so sure it would be a good idea! Remember, one wrong move and everyone will know! I'll make you famous!"

Sci stared at the small device in his hands.

"That, and I've got my friendchmen waiting just in the other room. They're just the best! I think you two would really get along with them. You know, if you weren't constantly trying to take over."

Blue made a few more taps on his screen and then stopped. Sci held his breath. It was like a train wreak- He wanted to look away, but he just couldn't tear his eyes off of Edge's expression.

"There we go!"

Blue held the photo up for both to see. Edge's face went bright red. His eye sockets here pitch black. Sci braced himself for the worst.

"Holy shit," Edge's voice was almost a whisper.


	6. Fresh Ruins Everything

"Just look at you two! You're so cute all snuggled up in your sleep! Like PUPPIES! You know, before you almost killed me. It's my fault, really. I'm the one who didn't check the volume before snapping a photo," Blue said. His voice was friendly, but his intentions were anything but.

In reality, the two looked less like puppies and more like lovers. They laid completely wrapped in each other's arms, fitting together perfectly like two pieces of the same puzzle. Edge looked tranquil with a light pinkish color across his cheekbones. Sci's face was hidden by Edge's jacket, but they assumed he looked the same.

Edge stared at the photo, looking completely paralyzed. It looked as though he was having trouble processing what he was seeing. Sci would have died to get some hint as to what was going through his head.

"THIS CAN'T- I DIDN'T- DID I-?!" Edge stammered "IS THIS PHOTOSHOPPED?!"

Fresh appeared behind him with a flash of neon lights and crappy 90's prints.

"'Fraid not, my dawg! Your lil snugglebud was rockin' some sintastic pheromone chalone last night and-"

Sci covered his mouth with both hands in a panic.

"SHUT. UP."

"Phero- what?!" Edge echoed in confusion.

Lucky for Sci, he had no idea what that meant. What the hell did Fresh think he was doing?! He just meant to admit what had happened, not that he liked him.

Fresh licked Sci's hand without hesitation.

"EW! WHAT THE-?!"

Sci recoiled in disgust. Just as planned.

"AND YOU RESPONDED LIKE FLY TO A PORCHLIGHT, MY MAN," Fresh continued yelling at Edge at full volume as though he was never interrupted in the first place.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN SAYING?!" Edge yelled. It was clear that his mind was racing.

Sci flinched.

"Wait! He _what_?!"

"You heard me, brah! HE DIGS YA BACK!"

Suddenly both Sci and Edge were yelling at once.

"WAIT, WHAT?!"

"'BACK'?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'BACK'?!"

Blue bounced excitedly. Stars sparkled in his eyes.

"Aw! Listen to them, Fresh! I'm feeling like a real cupid today!"

Sci couldn't believe what he was hearing. Were they lying to toy with his emotions?!

"WHAT KIND OF SICK GAME IS THIS?!" He yelled.

"WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS?!" Edge roared over Sci. Neither heard the other.

Edge reached for Blue's phone. Blue dodge effortlessly, his face smug.

"GIVE ME THE GODDAMN PHONE!" Edge demanded.

"Sorry! No can do!"

"DELETE THE PICTURE. NOW."

"But it's so perfect! Deleting something this cute would be a crime."

Edge reached again, but Blue rolled out of dodge. He lunged for him several times, but Blue always managed to slip away without fail. However, each time he managed to get a little closer than the last. Sci watched with wide eye sockets. It was like watching a ballerina fight a kickboxer.

"What's going on in there?!" He heard a voice yell from the kitchen.

"Nothing to see here. Sit back down!" said Error.

At last, Edge nearly caught him. Blue put everything he had into flipping as far away as he could. As he he leaped into the air, Edge's hand missed by just half an inch. Blue landed on one knee in the middle of the room, slightly out of breath. Frustrated, Edge took a hold of his soul and jerked him into the air. Blue winced as he roughly pulled him closer. Just as Edge was about to grab the phone from his hand, Blue tossed it over his shoulder. Fresh caught it in the air and smirked.

"Sorry, brosiff! No dice."

He turned on his heels. Sci raised a wall of bones from the ground just inches from his face. Before he could bolt for another door, Sci blocked the other exits. He took a step forward, readying himself to tackle him to the ground and pry the phone out of his hands by force.

"Didn't you hear what you're vertebro said earlier?" Fresh asked icily.

Sci froze in his tracks. The neon abomination took off his glasses and slowly turned to face him. Violet magic began to spill from the inky blackness of his eye sockets. The shattered soul of his host glowed vibrantly.

"TAKE ANOTHER STEP. I DARE YOU."

Though his smile remained, Sci could tell that he was pissed. When Fresh drops his dated slang, you know things are getting serious. He glanced down to see that his thumb was hovering over the phone. Fresh stared him down for a few long seconds. Sci didn't dare move. After a while, Fresh chuckled and put his glasses back over his nightmarish face.

"See, Edgebro? Scidawg's a real fly dawg- always makin' fresh choices like _knowing when he's been beat_. He could hella teach you a thing or two! Now quit goin' postal and drop our president before it gets messy all up in here."

Sci looked over at Edge. Edge had always had a short fuse. He was almost always angry on some level, even when he seemed content. But now he was absolutely seething. Sci had never seen him so angry in his life. He ignored Fresh. His eye pierced into Blue's like a razor.

"Fine! Don't put me down. It's fun floatin' up here anyway."

Blue kicked his legs like a child on a swing.

"I guess this means that you wouldn't mind us sharing that picture, right?"

"All I gotta do is hit send to give everyone the 411, yo!"

"But if you're okay with that, by all means! Throw me around!

Sci could see the restraint in Edge's expression. If it wasn't for that trump card, he would be slamming Blue into the wall repeatedly until he was nothing but dust. After glaring at Blue for a while, considering his options, he met Sci's eyes. Sci make a small jump at the sudden attention. A wave of electricity washed through him. His first instinct was to avert his gaze, but he refused. Edge made a purposeful glance to his left. Sci followed his eyes over to Fresh, or more specifically, the phone in his hand. Their eyes met once more, and Sci gave a minuscule nod in understanding. Edge looked back up at Blue, who was finally beginning to look nervous.

"Uhh...Edge?" Blue said.

"Forreal, you need to take a chill pill," Fresh added.

He didn't respond. Instead he held his position. Sci waited uneasily for some sort of sign. He hoped he would know it when he saw it.

They waited.

"Should I..?" Fresh asked.

"No. Not yet," Blue answered.

"Imma do it, brosiff."

"I said not yet!"

Then it happened. Edge blinked, and his eyes went dark. Sci turned and leapt at Fresh. Edge phased out of reality, leaving Blue in a heap on the ground. He reappeared beside Fresh on the opposite side. Together, he and Sci had him surrounded. Just seconds before they could forcefully tear the device from his hands, he faded away. Sci slammed into the wall he had created. He turned back to see Edge catching his balance.

"SHIT!" He growled, enraged.

"HA! Can't touch this," Fresh responded.

They whipped around to see Fresh and Blue standing side by side across the room.

"So what do ya say, Presidizzle? Are we lettin' the masses know what's up?"

"Naw, they don't deserve it yet. They're just overwhelmed, is all."

"Aw, what a buzzkill…"

"Let's just give them some space."

"Aiight, whatever you say, B. Let's dip."

Fresh took Blue's hand. Their edges began to flicker. Edge rushed towards them, screaming as though he were charging into battle. Of course, they disappeared before he could even touch them. He fell to his knees and pounded his fist onto the ground. He happened to land on a long blue body pillow that someone had left in the floor. Neither of them knew whose it was. Edge didn't care. He dug his sharp, clawlike finger tips into it and tore out a handful after handful of shredded fabric and white fluff. Bits of pillow went flying in all directions. Even when Sci thought it was completely destroyed, he kept rabidly tearing at its shredded remains. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was imagining in his head. After awhile, he stopped and just stared down at the ground, still breathing hard from the adrenaline high.

Sci approached him slowly. With each step, his better judgement begged him to reconsider. Hope pulled him forward; Whether it was hope that Edge hadn't forsaken him or hope that he might destroy him, he wasn't sure. He made a wide circle around his seething friend and stopped in front of him. He extended a hand to help him to his feet.

When Edge looked up, he jerked. With his free hand, Sci adjusted his glasses. Edge was so enwrapped in his thoughts that he didn't see him approach. There was no way to predict how Edge might react. But to Sci's surprise, he took his hand. As he pulled Edge to his feet, a familiar staticy sensation washed over him. Hand in hand, the two flickered, then faded away completely.


	7. Underfell's a Nasty Place

The two reappeared in some dimly lit storage room. Boxes were piled high along the walls. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust that had accumulated over the years. Sci clenched his fist at the sight of it. He wouldn't have minded adding to the piles himself.

"I loathe Fresh," Sci hissed through his teeth "If he never showed up, things would've gone ten times smoother. I can always count on that neon jerk to screw things up for me. And BLUE! What give him the right to play with my emotions like this?! THIS IS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS! I _HATE_ THEM! BUT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO I HATE MORE?!"

Sci pointed to himself.

"ME. This is all my fault! I'm so messed up. I tried _SO HARD_ to pretend everything was fine. I thought that maybe I could just keep it to myself. That maybe I could fix myself somehow. That-that I could be normal. But I'm not. I'm disgusting. I'm a sinner. I'm..."

He didn't bother to finish his sentence. He looked over at Edge. He seemed dazed. Was he even listening?

"...Do you hate me?" Sci asked. His voice was barely audible.

That got his attention. He scoffed.

"Yeah. Definitely. I snuggle with all my enemies," He deadpanned.

Sci blinked in surprise. Never before had a sarcastic remark been so healing.

"Wait… You don't?" He asked.

"FUCK NO! Why is that even a question?!"

"It's just… When you saw the photo, you got so mad. I thought…" Sci trailed off.

Edge grabbed him by the shoulders. Sci was startled to see the raw, visceral panic burning in his eyes. It should've been obvious, but he had been so occupied with his own fears that he hadn't noticed.

"You don't get it, do you, Nerd?!" Edge asked, shaking him slightly, "IF THAT PICTURE GETS OUT, WE'RE FUCKING DEAD!"

Sci stared, bewildered.

"If my brother sees it, he'll disown me! Kick me out of the house and I'll be dusted within a week, if he doesn't just kill me himself. And if it gets out in Underfell that I- that I- you know-"

Despite his urgency, he struggled to get the words out. For a second, there was a glint of something else in his expression beneath the fear. Sci couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it restraint? Disappointment? Whatever it was left him flustered.

"- _Care_ about you, you'll have a target on your back. I don't even want to _think_ about the nasty shit they'd do to you to get at me."

There it was again- That addictive, sickening ache in his core. The fear should've put a stop to it, but instead it was like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. A hint of disappointment tainted his joy. Sci hated it. He knew better than to expect him to say the L word. But no matter how much logic he threw at his emotions, he couldn't get them to change. When did his heart get so stubborn?

"Look at me!" Edge shook him.

Sci looked up from the ground. When did he start looking down? He must've been swept away by thought.

"I'M NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN. I'm going to destroy that photo even if I have to burn this house down with it! Understand?!"

And just like that, that toxic sliver of disappointment was gone. Edge may never say that he loved anyone outright, but in times like these, he proved it. Sci still remained uncertain as to whether he felt the same exact way, but the bond was undeniable. Sci's knees felt weak. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, words of adoration would fall out before he could stop them.

Without thinking, he let himself fall forward into Edge's arms. He held him around his ribcage, and once again, he got a face full of white fluff. Edge stiffened at first. His breathing shuddered. Just as Sci was about to pull back and apologize, Edge wrapped his arms around him so tight it was almost painful. Sci nuzzled his face into his neck.

"You're not allowed to die. You got that, Nerd?" Edge said in a low, gruff voice.

Sci nodded.

"And neither are you, Edgy Mc My Chemical Romance."

Edge's arms tightened around him. For the first time in years, Sci was at ease. Sure, there was still something to fear, but they were facing it together. As the guilt and uncertainty faded, he could feel clarity returning to him. And with clarity came resolve. With Edge at his side, Blue was the one who should've been truly afraid.

"Everything's going to be fine," Sci pulled away and gave Edge a devious smile, "I have a plan."


	8. Sci Murders A Tamagotchi

"Alright, Nerd. 'S'all here," said Edge as he took a knee and dumped an armful of items on the floor, "What the hell do you need a disposable camera for anyway?"

Sci sat on the floor and began picking through the items. Edge settled onto the ground next to him.

"You'll see."

Sci picked up the cheap yellow camera and looked it over. He hadn't expected it to be in such great condition, considering its owner. Who knew Fresh bothered to take care of his things? Sci swiped his thumb across the wheel below the button. It wouldn't budge.

"Okay, good."

He set the camera down and dug through the contents of his duffle bag, hurriedly tossing aside his bedding and pajamas to reveal a scuffed grey suitcase. He flipped open the lid and immediately started pulling out his tools- A soldering iron, a flathead screwdriver, pliers, and a few other odds and ends. Edge peaked inside. It looked as though Sci packed half the lab.

"Do you always carry this shit around with you?" He asked, poking at a large battery.

"Uh-huh. Wouldn't leave home without it."

"Heh. You're such a nerd."

Sci smiled.

"Yeah. Lucky thing, too. Did you grab tape?" Sci asked.

He held out one hand while he continued to sort things with the other.

"Eh… Sorta. This is all I could find."

Sci felt something land in his hand. It was a wide roll of duct tape printed with an obnoxious pattern. The background was a bright computer-crash blue, and amidst the pink hearts and golden stars, there were several shapes he couldn't quite make out. The room was too dim. Sci straightened his glasses and took a closer look. He grabbed Edge's upper arm and pulled him closer, then held it under the faint red glow of his eye. Sci made a small jump. The entire thing was covered in cartoon puppies. Blue's words echoed in his head.

 _'_ _Like puppies!'_

One memory lead to another. The vivid image of the picture shone in his mind before he could block it. He remember that night in perfect detail- The smells, the high, the fear, the feeling of Edge's body pressed against his own. One blink later, and he was brought back to reality. He found that he had dropped the tape on the ground in front of him.

"I know," Edge said.

He picked it up and grimaced at the design before handing it over.

"Let me guess. This is Blue's," Sci deadpanned.

"Yup."

"Figures."

He took a deep breath of stale air. He needed to focus. There wasn't much time. He picked up the tall plastic cup he had asked for and made a ring of tape around it, sticky side out, then wound some copper wire around it to create a coil. With another layer of flashy tape, it was complete. He dislodged the cup and tossed it over his shoulder. With the flathead, he began disassembling the cheap camera case, working it into the seams and prying.

"Damn… Fresh is gonna be pissed," Edge mumbled.

"Only if he finds out," Sci replied.

Edge chuckled.

The case popped free, and Sci began dissecting its parts. He pulled out some bits and pieces. There was a large green chip inside with small pieces of metal extending off of it.

"Brace yourself," Sci warned vaguely.

"For what?" Edge asked

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sci's screwdriver made contact with a small silvery plate. There was a deafening electric snap and a white flash. Edge's hands flew up to the sides of his head. Meanwhile, Sci looked completely unfazed.

"That," Sci answered.

"What the fuck did I just say about getting yourself killed?!" Edge yelled.

Sci giggled at his reaction. His face felt warm.

"Don't worry about me. I do this stuff all the time."

Edge huffed, folding his arms. He didn't seem reassured in the slightest.

After another minute or so of connecting seemingly random bits and wires together like legos, he was nearly finished. He sifted through his case for a capacitor. He picked up a blue one and read the large black text on the side: "450vdc 2000 mF". He had stronger ones back at the lab, but it would have to do.

"Okay… Annnnd I'm done!"

"Okay, Good."

Edge looked down. All he saw was a coil, a chip, and a switch.

"Is it some sorta bomb, or...?" he asked.

"What? No! It's an EMP generator."

"Cool," Edge replied "I have no idea what that means."

"EMP- as in Electromagnetic Pulse. Here, I'll show you."

Sci grabbed a small, colorful device from the pile- Fresh's tamagotchi. He held it over the puppy-taped coil and flipped the switch. A miniscule LED came to life on the device, and the toy was dead instantly.

"It fries electronics," Sci continued with a smirk.

"Permanently?"

"Permanently."

Edge smiled.

"HELL YEAH!"

"There's only one problem," Sci said as he put the whole mess of wires in his pocket, "It doesn't have much in the way of range. So we're going to have to be clever about this."

He packed everything away haphazardly.

"I have an idea, but in the meantime…"

Sci gave Edge an apologetic smile.

"We're going to have to go down there and ease our way back into the group. And be social. Without violence."

Edge scowled.

"Please?"

He grumbled incoherently.

"It won't be long. I promise."

After a while he sighed.

"Fine…"


	9. Spin The Bottle Is Like Russian Roulette

Sci stood nervously in the hall, assessing the room before him. Everyone was back in the living room. Any bedding that wasn't packed away was shoved into a corner. They'd moved the furniture around a bit. The sofa was now in the middle of the room, facing the TV on the far wall. It was occupied by the three Papyruses, who were playing Mario Kart. The third player, Toad, was beating the others with ease. He was a full lap ahead. Given Underfell's frustrated vulgarities, Sci figured he was probably second player, dry bones. First player, who Sci assumed was Classic Pap, played as Mario. He was driving with flawless speed and dexterity. The only problem was he was driving the wrong way. Nobody corrected him.

The Sanses were gathered behind the couch around a coffee table, engrossed in a game of Uno. Blue was at the end of the table, sitting in a recliner as if it were a throne. Some of the others had pulled up chairs, but most of them didn't bother.

Sci caught Blue's eye just as he was about to lay a card down.

"Oh! Hey Sci! You're back!" He cheered, bounding up to him.

"Uh, Hey, Blue. Look, I'm sorry we freaked out earlier. We haven't really been handling the situation well. But I've done a little thinking, and- well- I trust you. As long as we don't do anything stupid, it'll remain locked up, right?" Sci asked, keeping his voice just above a whisper.

Blue nodded.

"Yep! That's the deal!"

"Okay, good. My only request is that you keep good track of it. Your phone, I mean. Even with the password protection, I'm afraid it's going to fall into the wrong hands. And no offense to Fresh, but I don't really trust him not to leave it in the chip bowl or something like that. Do you have it, or…?"

"Yes, indeed! You have nothing to worry about. It's right here in my pocket, safe and sound!"

Blue patted his pocket with a smile. Sci took mental note.

 _'_ _Target acquired…'  
_

"Phew! Thank you. That's a relief."

"I'm glad to see you're coming around! And how's Edge? Is he doing okay?"

"I think so. He's mostly calmed down, but he still might be a little aggravated. He'll be down in a bit. If you could be patient with him for me, it would mean a lot."

"Sure! Not a problem! It'll be nice to have the friend club all together again," Blue said as he started back towards his fluffy throne.

 _'_ _Sure. Right. Whatever,'_ Sci thought, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

He followed along. A few of them looked up as they approached. Classic raised an eyebrow. Fresh leapt from his seat.

"HEY, It's Scidawg!"

"Hi," Sci replied curtly.

"MA MAN!" He yelled excitedly.

Sci was suddenly hit by an attack hug. He stood stiff with his arms straight down. The smell of fruitloops assaulted his senses.

"Yes. I'm back. You can get off me now."

"It's okay, Brosiff. You can be honest. We both know ya dig a good cuddle."

"Blue...BLUE," Sci called. Anxiety was starting to kick in.

"Let him go, Fresh! He probably wants to play, too."

Fresh let go and flopped back down in a chair at the end facing Blue. Sci sat at the opposite end, as far from Fresh as he could. Even if that meant sitting at Blue's feet. Geno dealt him in. His hand looked like Christmas- all reds and greens. He looked up from his cards. Sure enough, Fresh was staring at him with that stupid grin of his. Sci wondered if enjoyed making him uncomfortable. He glanced anxiously towards the hall for any sign of Edge. He was beginning to regret suggesting that they went down separate.

To his relief, Edge appeared a few moments later, a scowl etched into his face. He stalked towards the table.

"YO! Edgebro's here!"

"Yeah, what about it?" Edge snapped.

"That's everyone! Do you funky fresh friendizzles KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?!" Fresh asked.

He jumped up on the table, narrowly missing the stacks of cards at its center. Edge rolled his eyes as he sat in the chair Fresh had abandoned.

"Fresh, no," said Geno.

"Fresh, yes," Fresh replied, rubbing his hands together, "IT'S TIME FOR-"

"NO!"

"SPIN THE BOTTLE!"

An uproar erupted around the table. Error and Edge barked vulgarities while Sans Classic just slumped further into his seat. Death shot Geno a wink. Geno threw a pillow at his face in return. If Sci had a heart, it would have seized. Blue put his hands on his hips in disapproval.

"Fresh! Get down from there!" He scolded.

"I know! We should all sit in a circle over hizzle!" Fresh ran over to a clear spot in the floor.

"Nope. I'm fine here, thanks," Sans said as he drew a card.

"Just forget it, Fresh! There will be NO teeth clinking at this party!" Geno declared, slamming a fist down on the table.

"Shame," Death responded with a smirk.

"Besides, we don't even have a bottle," Sans noted.

"Oh! My b. Stay rad, brahs! I'll be back!"

Fresh disappeared in a puff of eye-strainingly bright colors. He reappeared seconds later with a bottle of strawberry Crush. It hissed as popped the cap. He then downed the entire thing without even stopping to breath. As soon as he was finished he plopped down on the ground and watched the others expectantly.

"Gather round, brahs! All Sanses invited!"

"Funk off, you neon piece of- HEY! What did I say about censoring me?!" Edge yelled.

"I let ya off da hook for a bit, Edgebro, but I think you've filled the cursin' quota for the day."

Edge turned to the others.

"Are you hearin' this sh-?!"

"Shhhhhhh Edge-Edge-Edge, take a chill pill! I think a clink 'r two could really help a dude like you unwind. Maybe then you wouldn't but a-spewin' such unrad lingo."

Edge was about to get up when Sans gestured for him to stay put.

"Just ignore him," Sans said with a sigh "The last thing we need is another fight. We've had enough pillow casualties as it is."

The game continued. With a little observation, Sci noticed that they didn't play by the official rules. When someone didn't have any cards they could lay down, they had to draw cards until they got one they could play. This served to make the game far longer, and twice as frustrating. But Sci didn't mind in the slightest. Even as he drew upwards of twenty cards without seeing a single yellow or six, he was thankful. If playing this menial card game offered any sort of distraction from the situation, he was more than happy to play along.

Finally, he found a yellow and laid it down. Sorting his cards seemed to help calm him down. He really dodged a bullet there. If everyone had joined Fresh, it could have been disastrous. Could he have escaped?

"Alright, dawgs. I get it," Fresh said after a while.

Sci breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he was dropping it.

"I know Uno, mah bros. It's addicting! Like pixie sticks or potato chips. Don't worry! This is no problemo, yo. Y'all can stay where you're at. I've got a plan!"

Fresh disappeared again and came back with a stack or solo cups and a sharpie. He scribble each of their names on a cup and began setting them in a circle.

"NO," Sci yelled, unable to hide the panic in his voice "Nonono, bad idea! Stop what you're doing!"

Fresh ignored him, completing the circle and setting the bottle in the middle.

"STOP! What do you even aim to accomplish?!"

"It's just a game, brah."

"Why are you doing this?!"

"Because YOLOOOO!"

Fresh span the bottle. Sci breathing quickened. With every rotation, his soul felt a little colder. What if it landed on him and Edge?! What would he say?! What would he do?! Sci didn't think he could handle seeing his face contort in disgust. Being rejected would be hard enough without it being harsh. And public.

He furiously calculated the odds in his head. With eight Sanses in the circle, there was a 12.5% chance it would land on him. Too high. He was about to calculate the theoretical probability of it landing on Edge after landing on him, but Sans stopped him.

"Hey, kid. Don't sweat it. Just ignore him. He'll tire himself out eventually," He reassured.

Sci took a deep breath and gave him a nod. Maybe he was right. Maybe this will mean nothing. He looked down at his cards to see that his hands were shaking.

 _'_ _Real subtle, Sci,'_ He thought to himself.

"Classic!" Fresh called out, "Annnd…"

Sci briefly wondered how bright his face was. It felt hot, so must've been pretty bad. That's one of the things he hated about his body. He blushed so deeply, so _obviously_ , that it was impossible to keep his emotions to himself. Any other skeleton wouldn't have this problem. But he was a monster- made of magic, with a mind and soul.

 _'_ _Lucky me,'_ The voice in his head remarked dryly.

"Geno!" Fresh called.

Geno flinched at his own name. He shot Sans an uneasy glance.

"Like I said."

Geno nodded, looking relieved.

Fresh waited for a bit. When nobody made any moves, he spun the bottle again.

"Coolio, next pair! … Death!"

The reaper laughed softly, still not looking up from his phone.

"Uno!" Blue cheered.

"What?! Are you kidding me?!" Error asked, glaring up at him from the floor.

"Nope! Lookie here!" Blue held up his single card and beamed.

"Cheater!"

"WAH?! Am not!"

"Are too!"

The bickering continued. Sci hoped it would drown out Fresh's voice. But sure enough…

"Geno, again! Dude's gettin' all da clinks!" Fresh shouted, loud as ever.

He didn't even have to make an effort to be heard. He was just naturally the loudest one there. It was absurd.

"You have GOT to be kidding me," Geno exclaimed.

Death turned to face him.

"Hey babe."

"Not in a thousand years," Geno spurned.

Death smiled.

"I can wait," He replied with a wink.

Sci looked over at Edge. To his surprise, he looked almost as anxious as Sci did, only he seemed to be handling it a bit differently. His glare was so harsh that Sci thought it might burn a hole through his cards. Sci looked back down before he could catch him staring.

"Blueberry, you're up mah man!"

 _'_ _It's going to be fine. Just play the game. No one is taking him seriously, so there's no point in getting stressed out, right?'_ Sci told himself.

His chest still felt tight. Fresh's game felt less like a slumber party classic and more like game of Russian roulette. Actually, Russian roulette didn't sound like such a bad idea…

"And Sci!"

Sci jolted. Cards flew everywhere. For some reason, Edge flinched along with him. His fist closed tightly around his cards, crumpling them beyond repair.

Before Sci could react further, he felt a light tap on the top of his head. His eye sockets widened. He turned back to see Blue giggling. He stared at Edge, waiting for a reaction.

Sci followed his gaze. Edge looked _livid_. His red eye flared, like someone had poured gasoline onto a fire. His eyes locked with Blue's. Just as he was about to lose it, he seemed to catch on to what Blue was up to. It was all a test. Or perhaps a show of power. Blue was messing with his nerd right in front of him, and there was nothing he could do about it. Not without revealing anything. Edge's face flushed hard as he realized how much he had given away. He slumped in his seat and hid his face behind his cards. Sci swore he could hear that same possessive growl he had the night before. It was audible with each exhale, but just barely.

Sci's head rushed. A wave of electricity washed through him. For a second, it felt like he was falling. There was an ache, coupled with a warmth in his chest.

Sci stared in disbelief. It took him a while to process what had just happened. The entire interaction only lasted a matter of seconds. Half of the people there didn't even notice. But to Sci, it was monumental. Everything began clicking into place. Edge's unusual cuddliness in his sleep… His protectiveness, from Blue earlier that morning, and then from potentially all of Underfell… What Fresh had said about the pheromones... Maybe he wasn't lying after all. Maybe Edge _did_ have feelings for him. Normally Sci would've scoffed at himself for even entertaining the possibility, but that expression of jealousy was undeniable.

Satisfied with his successful taunt, Blue turned to Fresh and called off the game. As to be expected, Fresh was reluctant. He had just started, and he hadn't even been able to clink anyone yet. But Blue was adamant, so he cleaned up and rejoined their seemingly eternal game of Uno.

The game carried on. Soon Sci was surrounded by budding rivalries and hijinks, but he could hardly pay any attention. A pillow-soft fog filled his head. He just drifted through time, feeling light and giddy.


	10. What a Klutz

Sci sat alone in the kitchen with his eye glued to the clock. A glass of ice cold water sat in front of him, collecting condensation along the outside. His cheeks still hadn't lost their color, even after half an hour of idle gameplay. His soul was overflowing with joy, celebrating without his permission.

 _'_ _Snap out of it!'_ He thought to himself.

His hand gripped the outside of the glass in the hopes that the temperature might help. He told himself that he shouldn't get his hopes up no matter how much evidence he had until he had solid confirmation. But it was too late. They soared like Icarus no matter how much he begged for them to come down. And he was paying for it, too. The feelings that one only made brief appearances were now constant. A persistent craving clawed at him from the inside, like withdrawal for a drug he never had. If he let himself, he would've just settled into twitterpated daze like some drunken idiot.

He had made a constant effort to avoid Fresh at all costs. It was still unclear as to whether he could actually smell emotions or if he was just guessing what had happened that night. He hoped it was the latter. If he could pick up on his pheromones before, Sci was bound be be twice as obvious now.

There was no way to know when the party would end. They never set a specific time. People were to just leave as they pleased. Once one left, the others were bound to start packing, too. At any given moment, the party could end, and he would lose his chance to wipe Blue's phone. Each second that ticked by was like a hammer striking the nails in his coffin. He had to get himself together so that he could get back on task.

He downed the last half of his glass. The water was painfully cold on the way down.

 _'_ _This is a matter of life and death,' He reminded himself 'For BOTH of us…'_

He focused on his priorities. The possibilities were exciting, but none of it would matter if they didn't make it through this alive. Luckily, that seemed to do the trick. Good thing, too, because his next plan was to stab his hand with a fork repeatedly. Who knew all you needed to get the cartoon hearts out of your eyes was the looming threat of death?

He got to his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. Though the EMP generator had moved around slightly, everything still felt connected. His thumb lingered on the switch as he walked back into the livingroom. The lights were out. The TV was on on, illuminating the skeletons gathered around it. They were playing some sort of video game, but it was nothing like the quirky racing game the Papyruses were on earlier. The graphics were far more realistic, almost unsettlingly so. The character was navigating through a dark building with a flashlight. Geno held the controller nervously while the others yelled over each other.

"NONONO DON'T GO IN THERE!" Blue shouted.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Underfell Paps screamed.

"Bro… BRO! BRO STOP! STOOOP!" Fresh got progressively louder as Geno made his way down the bloody corridor. It was amusing to see that he was even capable of fear.

"FOOL! YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!"

"SILENCE, ANGRY ME! YOU'RE RUINING HIS FOCUS WITH YOUR SHOUTING!" Classic Papyrus nagged, despite being just as loud himself.

"' _SILENCE'?!_ YOU CANNOT COMMAND _ME!_ I OUTRANK YOU!"

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Geno. If we keep _skull_ king around like this, he's gonna find us. No _bones_ about it," Sans classic chimed in.

"SANS!" The bickering Papyruses snapped in unison, joined by Blue.

"Look, brosiff, I dig your style. I really do. I know bleedin's kinda your thing, but if your character bleeds, they'll _die_."

"Wow, thanks for the tip. I totally couldn't figure that out on my own," Geno replied sarcastically.

"Any time, dawg! Now turn back!"

"Fresh is right! This is kind of freaking me out," Blue agreed.

"Ha! You're scared? Of _this?_ This is nothi- WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Error screamed.

Everyone started freaking out about something on the screen. Sci couldn't see if from where he was standing. Edge didn't seem to be among the group. He was about to get closer and investigate when he heard a metallic click. A small orange light flickered to light in the back corner of the room. It disappeared a second later. With another metallic click, the small flame reappeared. Edge was sitting in a pile of blankets and pillows, idly flicking a cheap lighter. Though it was dark, Sci could still tell that there was a lot going through his head. He looked up and shoved his lighter in his pocket when he caught sight of Sci in the doorway. When Sci gestured for him to join him, he got to his feet and slipped into the kitchen.

"So," Sci whispered "Are you ready?"

Edge grumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"You don't have to make it long. Just believable,"

"What the hell do you expect me to say? I don't even want to _look_ at that little shit," Edge snapped.

"Just a quick 'Sorry'. That's all we need. You could even say I told you to."

Edge thought about it and sighed.

"Fine," He agreed reluctantly "Ya know, if I could, I woulda dusted him by now."

"I know. We'll be out of here soon enough," Sci assured him.

An unexpected twinge of sadness caught him off guard. Then what? After the party, would they just go their separate ways? They might chat through the multiverse mailbox, but it just wasn't the same. It was like slipping notes through a crack in the wall. He wasn't ready to lose his company just yet. He decided not to worry about it. He'd cross that bridge when he got there.

"Good luck, Edge. You know what to do."

Sci took his position against the wall, right outside the door frame, out of Blue's line of sight. Edge walked deeper into the kitchen, then turned to look directly out the door. Sci wouldn't be able to tell when Blue would arrive, but Edge would. Edge pulled his phone out of his pocket and shot Blue a quick text. It wouldn't be long now. Sci's hands were in his pockets, still on the switch like an itchy trigger finger.

Sci stared into Edge's eyes, waiting for the signal. The left burned in its socket. That infernal clock ticked in his ear. Each second felt like an eternity.

Finally, Edge blinked, and his eyes went white. Immediately, Sci stepped into the doorway, right into Blue's path. The two skeletons collided painfully. The pocket that held Blue's phone was right up against Sci's EMP. Perfect. Sci flipped the switch. It made quiet, high frequency screech. Luckily the horror game nearby drowned out most of it. Quickly, he turned it off and pulled his hands out of his pockets to avoid suspicion. After he regained his balance, he helped Blue steady himself.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you coming and-"

"That's alright! It's going to take more than that to damage your magnificent president!"

Sci wiped the back of his hand across his forehead in mock relief.

"Phew! Okay good. I was worried I might have hurt you. Sorry again!"

Sci slipped past him and started into the darkened living room. He kept looking back nervously. After five paces of walking blindly in the dark, he slammed into something else.

"WOAH!"

This time, he wasn't prepared. He landed on his back, looking up at the soft, flickering light that reflected off the ceiling from the TV. Swap Papyrus towered over him. Shadows were cast over his face. Sci laughed nervously.

"S-Sorry about that," He apologized, "I'm just running into everyone today, aren't I?"

"Heh. So it seems."

Papyrus extended a helping hand.

"It's no trouble," said Papyrus as he pulled Sci to his feet.

Sci brushed himself off then looked him in the eye. He didn't look any less menacing up close.

"So. What's got you in such a rush?" He asked.

"I-I just had to get out of there. I'm making Edge apologize to Blue for earlier, and I'm not supposed to be around when it happens. He's not very good at the polite stuff. I want to see how well he does on his own," said Sci. Luckily he had thought stuff like this through beforehand.

"Huh," Papyrus replied simply.

Papyrus narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew something was off, but he wasn't sure what. It was almost like he wasn't looking at him, but through him. After a while he turned and started walking towards the kitchen.

"Well, I'm gonna go see how it goes. See ya."

"Uh, bye…"

Papyrus stalked away. Sci held his breath. Edge was all alone in there with both Swap brothers. And with Error and Fresh at Blue's beck and call, they could overwhelm him whenever they pleased.

 _'_ _Come on, Edge. You've got this.'_


	11. Sci No

Several agonizing minutes passed. Sci paced anxiously outside the door. He would've liked to listen in, but there was no way he could hear over the others' screaming. Finally, Edge emerged from the kitchen at a fox's pace, looking like he had just been interrogated by the royal guard.

"Well, this chat's been fan-fuckin-tastic, but I think I'm gonna bail before I spontaneously combust. BYE," he said as he shoved past Blue and his brother.

Sci expected him to stop in front of him, but instead he took his hand and kept going. All of the feelings he had shoved aside flooded back to him. Gravity seemed to loosen its grip on him.

"THERE. I did it. You happy now?!"

As Sci was pulled along behind him, he was hyper-aware of Edge's hand gripping his own.

"Extremely," Sci answered quietly.

Static washed over him. With one more step, their surroundings had changed completely. They were back in the attic. Alone.

Edge let go and started gathering his things, which he had laid in the floor a while ago. Sci adjusted his glasses, attempting to regain his composure.

"What are you waiting for?! We're done! We won! Let's ditch before they notice something's up!"

As Sci looked down at his things, something occurred to him. The more he thought about it, the more concerned he became. An EMP as strong as his destroyed the phone without a doubt. There was a still still a chance, though, that someone tech savvy could find a way to recover the files. It was extremely slim. In fact, the phone was probably so fried that the memory was wiped completely. But still… That wasn't a gamble he wanted to take. Not with his luck.

Suddenly something caught his eye. There was a box in the back of the room that was surprisingly dust free. The outside was decorated in bright shades of red and yellow in a blastlike pattern. The top was ripped and left partially open. Sci recognized it as the remaining fireworks that Geno had taken away from Error. A smile crept across his face.

Edge looked up to say something, but stopped when he noticed the evil glint in his eye. He abandoned what he was doing and got to his feet.

"What'chu planning, Nerd? You're smilin' like Satan in a lab coat," Edge said. His golden tooth caught the light as he smirked.

Sci chuckled.

"Well, we got rid of the metaphorical gun to our heads…"

Sci walked over and picked up the box. Edge's face lit up.

"How about a little revenge?"

Edge looked down at the box and then back up at Sci. There was a hint of adoration in his wicked smile. He seemed strained somehow, as if he was holding something back.

"See, this is why we get along so well."


	12. Setting Up Dominoes

Sci peered into the kitchen. Luckily, Sans was the only person there. He leaned against the counter near the microwave. The air was filled with popping and the pungent scent of butter. Sci approached eagerly, steepling his fingers.

"Classic! I've been looking for you!"

"Oh, Hey pal. Whatcha need?"

"Just a small favor. There would be nearly no effort on your part. In fact, it might not even happen," Sci began.

"Great. My favorite kind of favor is one I don't have to do," Sans replied, "So, what is it that I won't be doing?"

"Repairing a cellphone. Blue's has been rather glitchy of late. In the event that he asks you to take a look at it, would you mind passing it over to me?"

Sans narrowed his eyes.

"Why?"

"I would like to be the one to fix it."

"Nice try kid, but you can't _cell_ those _phony_ lines to me. I'm not buyin' it."

There was a high pitched beeping sound. Sans turned his back on Sci and clicked open the door of the microwave.

"Please! I'm a scientist! It's what I do!"

Sans pulled a large bowl from a cabinet and set it on the counter. A cloud of steam wafted towards the ceiling when he tore open the bag.

"I'm begging you," Sci implored.

"Nope," Sans answered simply as he poured the popcorn into the bowl.

He grabbed the bowl and turned around to leave the room, but in doing so he accidentally caught sight of Sci's face. His younger self pleaded silently with the worst case of puppydog eyes he had ever seen. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine. You do your thing and _dial_ pretend I don't suspect a thing," He relented before shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

"Excellent! Thank you, me!" Sci exclaimed.

He bounded off before he could say anything else. Sans just shook his head and kept going about his business.

The livingroom was blindingly bright. There were twice as many lamps as before, probably dragged in from the other rooms. Any outlets left were filled with an obscene amount of nightlights. There was a blanket draped over the television. Sci snerked to himself as he remembered hearing the chorus or terrified screams. He and Edge were two floors away, and they could still hear them loud and clear. He probably could've heard them from all the way back in his lab. Half of them still wore a thousand yard stare.

Blue sat alone, staring at the wall. His eyes were open, but he was too deep in some horribly traumatized line of thought to see anything. Sci approached as quietly as he could, hardly letting his feet make a sound. He settled onto the couch next to him.

"Hello, Blue!" Sci greeted loudly.

Blue screamed and tumbled onto the floor like he had just been threatened with a chainsaw. Sci choked back a fit of laughter.

"Oh! It's you!"

Blue hopped back into his seat.

"Jeeze, what was on that game that made you so-?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Blue cut him off.

"Pft- If you say so. I just wanted to show you something."

Sci dug a hand into his pocket. It felt strangely empty without the clunky EMP. He had left it in the attic and traded it out for his cell phone, which was safely tucked away in the front pocket of his duffle bag. He pulled the sleek device out and held it where Blue could see it. With a few taps and swipes, he reached a small blue icon with a ridiculously adorable dragon at its center.

"I thought of you as soon as I found it. It might even help you come down from that adrenaline spike," Sci said.

Blue gasped. He put his hands over his mouth, and his eyes went wide.

"OH MY GOD. THEY'RE SO CUTE!" He cooed at the brightly colored loading screen.

"See? I knew you'd like it."

The game loaded up to a pasture-like scene with several miniature dragons lounging about peacefully. The art style was simple and easy on the eyes, making it ideal for easing one's mind. Even with his ulterior motive, there was truth to what Sci was saying. He had actually been planning on showing him the app for a while. And he would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy the game himself from time to time. At first he thought it was pointless, but it didn't take long to grow on him.

Stars shone in Blue's eyes.

"Aww, he's sleeping! Ha- And that one's batting at that one's tail!" Blue pointed at one dragon after another, completely enthralled.

Suddenly he pointed to a small, irritable little thing that was pitch black with red accents. Sci braced himself.

"Hey, look! It's Underfell Sans!"

Sci's cheekbones flushed.

"Heh… I guess he kinda does look like Edge, doesn't he?" Sci said, as if he hadn't noticed before. As if it wasn't the sole reason he had worked so hard to capture him. As if that dragon wasn't his absolute favorite.

Sci scrolled away from it as quickly as he could and clicked on a random dragon. A small menu appeared along the side of the screen.

"Anywaaaay, you get new dragons by luring them to your land with jewels or gold. And once you've spotted one without a collar, you can use your other dragons to capture it. Some species are more difficult to find than others, but-"

"CAN I TRY?!" Blue asked, reaching for his phone.

"Wha- Hey!"

Sci pulled his phone away and held it out of reach.

"You can look, but you can't touch."

"But that yellow one didn't have a collar! THERE ISN'T MUCH TIME!" Blue protested.

"I've already got one of those," Sci replied dismissively.

"But he's so COOL!"

"Download your own game! It's completely free. Just look it up on the undernet. Your universe should have it, too. Or at least a version of it."

Sci watched with bated breath as Blue pulled his phone from his pocket. He tried his best to keep his poker face. Blue hit the button along the side. Sure enough, nothing happened. He hit it again, a little harder this time. Nothing still. He mashed it repeatedly. Each push chipped away at his patience.

"What?" Blue muttered to himself.

He quickly checked the outside for any signs of damage, but found none.

"It's-"

He hit the button again.

"-Not-"

And again.

"-WORKING!"

Finally he dug his finger into the button so had Sci thought that it might break.

"Did your battery die?" Sci asked, playing dumb.

"No! Last I checked it was at seventy percent!" Blue exclaimed in frustration.

"Weird. Do you overcharge it? Or use it while it's still connected to the charger? Because that can damage your battery life."

"No! Well- Yes, but everyone does that! That shouldn't…" Blue left his sentence hanging as he hit tapped at his screen.

After a while of messing with his phone in vain, he looked up at Sci, his eye sockets narrowed.

"What did you-"

"I have a charger in my bag if you need it," Sci offered, pretending not to hear Blue's question, "It's just upstairs. I'll be back in a second."

As Sci rose, he felt a hand press down firmly on his shoulder, forcing him back into his seat. Swap Papyrus stood over him. He looked calm, with one hand was kept in his pocket and a casual expression, but the strength in his grasp told Sci otherwise. A mixture of fear and frustration hit him. His eye twitched as he struggled not to let it reach his face. Why did his lazy noodle of a brother have to be so damn perceptive?

"Don't worry about it. I've got mine right here," Papyrus pulled a tangled charger from his pocket and handed it over to Blue.

"Thanks, Papyrus. Still, I'm not sure if it'll do any good."

"It's worth a shot," Sci said, making an effort to sound helpful in the hopes that it might dull Blue's suspicion.

Blue stood and shot him a sidelong glare, then walked over to a lilac nightlight across the room and yanked it free. As he worked to untangle the knotted cord, Sci felt the cushions sink beneath him slightly. Papyrus had taken Blue's spot beside him, a silent warning to stay put. There was no way he was going to be able to get close enough to the phone to snatch it. Sci had expected this, but he was still a little disappointed that he couldn't take the easy route.

Everyone else began to move around them to form a loose circle. After Blue's phone was plugged in, he shot Sci another suspicious glance.

"What?" Sci asked "There's still plenty of room on the couch."

Blue didn't respond. Instead he just walked off and sat on a pillow in the floor, on the other side of the circle.

"Suit yourself."

"SO! I'm sure you're all wondering why I gathered you here!"

Papyrus stood at the circle's center, shuffling a deck of cards. The room's chatter died down.

"I bring you news that will surely leave you chilled to the bone!"

"Heh. Good one," said classic Sans.

"Indeed! But focus! You all must prepare yourselves! Because…"

Papyrus set most of the cards down. He pulled the top card from his hand, an ace, and held it out dramatically.

"There are killers among us!"

The Fell brothers exchanged glances. Error simply raised his hand. Blue shot him a look of disapproval.

"You don't say?" replied Death himself.

"That's right! I, the GREAT PAPYRUS, challenge all of YOU to a game of Mafia!"


	13. Suicide of a Sinner

"Mafia? Sweet. I'll make the molotovs," Edge offered.

"Yeah, let's not. He means the party game," said Sans classic, gesturing for him to stay put with one hand and shoving the other in his bowl of popcorn, which he apparently didn't intend to share.

"Party game? Sounds lame," Error complained.

"Perhaps in the hands of anyone else, it would be! But I, the GREAT PAPYRUS, shall be your capable and compelling moderator. THEREFORE, I assure you that this is going to be the BEST GAME YOU'VE EVER PLAYED!"

"Whatever," Error grumbled, probably disappointed that there wasn't going to be any real violence.

"Allow me to explain the rules! You will each draw a card from my hand that will reveal your true nature. Do NOT allow anyone else to see your card! It could be your undoing! This game has two phases: day and night. At nightfall, you will all close your eyes and 'fall asleep'," Papyrus explained, making air quotes with his fingers "But not for real! This is Mafia, not nap time! I'm looking at you, Sans!"

Papyrus pointed to his brother.

"Okay."

"Good!"

The corners of Sci's mouth twitched as he fought to keep from smiling. For a while, he wondered if he had heard him right. This opportunity was just too good to be true. Soon everyone's eyes would be shut. Including Blue and his allies. He may not need to wait for Blue to ask for help, after all. His eyes fell on the dead phone plugged into the wall and wondered if anyone knew what he was thinking.

"While the rest are sleeping, you may each awaken one by one and move in secret. What you do depends on your card. If you have an Ace, you a member of the mafia! Each night, you will agree on a victim. If you wipe out all but one person, you win! But you must be stealthy, because the innocent aren't going down without a fight! In the morning, everyone will take a vote on who they believe is guilty of the crime. Whoever is found guilty will be arrested! If all of the Mafia members are caught, they lose! In the normal rules, they're given the death penalty, but…"

Papyrus looked a bit uncomfortable at the thought.

"There's no need for that! Especially since we have a capable police force! If you get a king, you are a cop! You are able to choose one person to investigate each night. Point to them and I'll give you a nod if they're guilty! The queen represents the doctor, who can save one person each round. If the person you choose happened to be the victim, they will survive, all thanks to you and your medical expertise! And last but not least, we have the number cards! Those are all innocent. You don't wake up until the sun rises, but when you do, you still play a very important role in trying to discover who the killers are!"

"So they're worthless. Got it," said Underfell Papyrus as he folded his arms.

"WHAT?! NO! Were you even listening?!"

Papyrus sighed and whipped around to face the other side of the circle.

"Nyeh... Let's just get started."

He turned around and began handing out the cards one by one, in a clockwise fashion. Sci watched their reactions closely. He started with Death, who was on the floor to Sci's left. As he took a look as his card, his expression didn't change much. He still looked just as smug as he did before, but not more so. If he had gotten a mafia card, his smile probably would have widened at least slightly.

As Papyrus handed Fresh his card, he cheered before he even knew what it was. Sci assumed he was just excited to play the game in general.

Blue took the card and thanked Paps with an innocent smile. Sci's instincts told him he was hiding something, but he took them with a grain of salt. There was a chance that Sci's past experiences with him were coloring his judgements.

Error snatched his card and frowned at it like it had just insulted him to his face.

"What?! This is stupid! Lemme switch!"

"NO SWITCHING! Sit back down and embrace who you are!"

 _'_ _So Error's an innocent. Got it.'_

When Geno received his card, he seemed relieved. Though he wasn't quite all there, he still possessed quite a strong sense of morality. In one way or another, he was innocent. Sans didn't give much away, which wasn't a surprise. He was extremely adept at hiding his emotions.

On the other hand, he could read Edge with ease. He smirked and laughed softly at some secret irony. He was going to play a role he never thought he'd find himself in- The cop. Sci smiled along with him at the thought. Or maybe Edge's smile was just contagious. Either way, while Edge's brother and the lazy carrot received their cards, he wasn't paying attention. His focus snagged on Edge like he was a piece of art, and all else fell into the background. Their voices became white noise.

He didn't snap out of it until a card was shoved in his face. Sci blinked and shook his head. Before he looked at his card, he scanned the group to see if anyone had caught him staring. Sans classic's eyes had gone dark. Even without words, Sci understood his sharp message of disapproval. It felt if he had jabbed an icepick of shame straight into his sternum.

Sci turned away quickly to see Swap Papyrus watching him intently. He likely had a similar idea, watching the others' reactions to their cards to from an idea of what they might be. And, knowing him, he was probably better at it too. Sci shifted himself in his seat so that he couldn't see his expression, then gave his card a brief flip. It was an ace.

Quietly, Sci calculated his options in his head. As the first round began, he had only one goal in mind:

To die.


	14. Tactical Friendly Fire

"NYEH HEH HEH! PREPARE YOURSELVES! MAFIA STARTS _NOW!"_

Papyrus struck a dramatic pose.

"TRAGEDY HAS STRUCK THE UNDERGROUND! THE GREAT KING PAPYRUS HAS GONE MISSING! The Royal Guard has searched high and low, but alas, he is nowhere to be found. Weeks turn into months, and there is still no sign. But just when all hope seemed lost, an anonymous tip is left on the castle door! All it said was a simple address of an abandoned office building in the middle of one of the worst neighborhoods in the whole city of New Home! The Royal Guard sent a brave team of skeletons from across the multiverse to investigate. Little did they know, three of them helped capture their strong and benevolent King in the first place! Together they planned to plunge his great kingdom to anarchy! As soon as they enter the massive building, the doors seal behind them. Someone tampers with the building's controls, and the lights go out with a loud SNAP! Close your eyes! We are entering the night phase!"

Everyone around the circle closed their eyes. Sci hesitated. He glanced over at the phone and considered just going for it. But with swap Papyrus to his right, he doubted he would get far. Sci closed his eyes. It wouldn't be long before he would open them again, anyway.

"The Mafia move in the shadows! Open your eyes and choose your victim!"

Sci opened his eyes to see Blue looking up at him from the floor. Swap Papyrus opened his eyes slightly and gave his brother a nod. Blue held eye contact with Sci, and with a smile, he pointed to Edge. The carrot followed his lead. He probably didn't really care who died. Sci shook his head and pointed to himself emphatically, hoping in vain that they might change their minds. If he was dead, he would be free to move about while the others had their eyes closed. Snatching the phone would be a piece of cake. He also didn't want to have any part in killing Edge, even if it was just a game.

"WHAT? NO! You can't kill yourself!" Papyrus yelled "Why would you even want to do that?!"

 _'_ _I have business beyond the grave!'_ Sci thought in response.

He clasped his hands in front of him and begged silently.

"I SAID NO!"

Sci frowned. For a moment, he considered just quitting, but that would raise too much suspicion. Outnumbered, his vote alone held little power. He was only postponing the inevitable.

But then an idea struck him. Perhaps killing Edge wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. It was a difficult choice, but strategically, it was best for both of them in the long run.

 _'_ _Sorry, Edge…'_ Sci thought.

Slowly, he pointed at his only ally. His chest felt tight. He hoped Edge would understand.

"A victim has been chosen! Close your eyes!"

Sci closed his eyes and immediately felt heavy with regret. If this didn't work, he just murdered Edge for nothing.

"The cop pulls a flashlight from his belt and begins investigating! Cop! Open your eyes!"

There was a pause.

"After finding some clues, you hear some footsteps approaching! You turn off your flashlight and duck under a desk until the coast is clear. Close your eyes!"

Sci thought about who Edge might have checked while he waited. It was probably Blue or his henchmen. He doubted Edge would check his card, even if he was just as guilty as any of them.

"Guided only be the light of his cell phone, the doctor searches for his friends in the dark! Open your eyes… You find a figure in the dark and decided to wait beside them in case anything bad happens. You get to decided who that figure is! Who will you aid? ...GOOD! Now close your eyes! SUDDENLY THE LIGHTS TURN BACK ON! You may all open your eyes!"

Sci uncovered his face and braced himself. He hoped that Papyrus wouldn't describe the scene in too much detail.

"In the dark and the chaos, your friends have been scattered about! One by one, you find one another. Blueberry, Fresh, and Death worked together to free Error from a locked broom closet."

"Hey! How come I was the one locked in a broom closet?!" Error shouted.

"No, brah, this is good! It means you didn't get all up murdered!" Fresh replied excitedly.

"They later found Sans and lazy me unconscious on the floor. At first they worried that they might be hurt, but of course, they were just asleep," Papyrus continued, sounding a bit irritated.

"Sorry, bro. It was the mafia, I swear. They knocked us out cold," said classic Sans.

"And what about all those other times back at home, heh? Was the mafia at fault then, too?!"

Sans grabbed some popcorn.

"Yep," he answered with his mouth full.

"Ugh! Do you see what I must put up with?" Papyrus asked his Underfell counterpart.

"You say that as if mine's any better."

"HEY!"

"MEANWHILE!" Papyrus yelled before an argument sparked, "Geno and Science aided Underfell Papyrus in his search for his brother. The others found them and joined their hunt, but it was no use! He was nowhere to be found."

"Shit. Where is this going?" Edge asked uneasily.

"Geno noticed something black under a desk. He called the others over as he rushed to examine it. Hopes were high! But alas, all that was left of Edge was his fluffy jacket! And he never takes that thing off! That could only mean one thing... "

"DAMMIT! I KNEW IT!" Edge cursed.

"If I, the great King Papyrus, were still on the throne, I would have never allowed this to happen! I am truly sorry. Please turn in your card," Papyrus requested dramatically.

Edge flipped his card into the air as he got to his feet.

"I am going to haunt the living shit outta you," He grumbled.

He left the circle and hovered around the outside with his hands in his pockets instead. With a little patience, he would know who killed him. Sci hoped to get plans rolling before it came to that. Now all he had to do was ensure that Blue and his allies stayed in the game. It was a little counter-intuitive, but if they were killed, or "arrested" as Papyrus preferred to call it, they would ruin the entire operation.

"ACCUSATIONS FLY! Who could have possibly wanted Edge dead?!" Papyrus shouted.

"Who doesn't? That'd probably be a shorter list," Error answered frankly.

"The same could be said for you, glitch," Sci snapped back.

"Wow, Error. That kinda sounds like something a murderer would say," said Blueberry. His voice was full of feigned concern.

"Fools! One of the Mafia members tried to kill themselves, remember? That is the greatest lead we have!" Underfell Papyrus yelled.

"Good point, dawg! Which onea these sadical bros is down to off themselves?" Fresh asked, obnoxiously loud as always.

"Oh that's easy," Death replied "I can smell suicidal thoughts a mile away. Sans and swap Papyrus lowkey want to die all the time."

Blue and Papyrus looked turned to their brothers with matching horrified expressions. Sans shifted uncomfortably.

"And lately, Sci has too. He's a rather recent addition, actually. At least compared to the others."

Sci looked up at the reaper in surprise. Did he mean in the game or…?

"Something about love and guilt or whatever. I don't know the specifics."

No, this was real. That cloaked hipster just announced his innermost feelings to the entire party as if he were discussing the weather. Sci's face flushed. A prickly sensation washed over him like he had just fallen into an ocean of needles. They started on the outside and worked their way into his bones. And with each pinprick, they grew hotter until fear as hot as liquid metal coursed through him. His soul was open and exposed for all to see like some inhumane vivisection. Luckily, he was vague enough to leave most in the dark, but Edge…

Sci didn't want to look, but he couldn't stop himself. As he lifted his gaze, he began to tremble. The 'fell stood, stunned. His face was just as flushed as Sci's. His eye sockets were wide with a soft, white inner light. Sci looked down at the carpet.

Meanwhile, Death continued casually.

"I would say Geno, too, but he doesn't want anything to do with me. He's got all the self-hatred of all the others combine and then some, but he's got himself convinced that he's got a job to do."

Geno's eye flickered blue and red.

"Hey! Mind your own business!"

"Death _is_ my business."

Sci and Geno glared at him. Sans and swap Papyrus looked less than amused as well.

"What? I'm just playing the game."

The skeletons in the room came from a great variety of personality types and temperaments, and their morals were as varied as a limited edition box of crayons. Even still, almost everyone was thinking the same thing; Is it possible to kill Death?


	15. Hey Look Guys, A Distraction

"I think it was Classic. Maybe he wanted to catch some Z's instead of play this mysterytastic game of fake murder. Not cool, brosiff. Not cool," said Fresh, who was apparently completely oblivious to the tension in the room.

"I hate to agree with that neon abomination, but I think he's right. It's Sans," Error said as he wove a strand of magic string through his fingers.

Fresh held his hand up for a high five. Error cringed away, hissing like a feral cat.

"I, too, believe it was Classic Sans!" fell Papyrus declared.

The circle was filled with murmurs. Some agreed while others remained doubtful.

"SANS! YOU HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY ACCUSED! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY IN YOUR DEFENSE?"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," said Sans "but you've got the wrong guy."

"Yeah?! Prove it!"

"Well, I wanna play, so that kinda rules me out."

"Not necessarily. Even if you weren't the mafia that tried to kill himself, you could be one of the other two," Sci pointed out.

"I nominate Death!" Geno blurted.

"Why? I'm most helpful one here."

"You're a reaper. You literally exist to kill."

The others discussed quietly amongst themselves.

"You're nickname is Death. Could it be any more obvious?"

Sci thought about it for a moment. As inconsiderate and sadistic as he was, Death would still make for a rather innocuous witness. He had no real allegiance to either side of the friendship club war. It was unlikely that he would get in the way. That, and he definitely had it coming.

"You know what?" Sci turned to Death with a bitter smile, "Maybe you're right. He's got my vote."

"Mine, too. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that sooner!" Blue agreed.

Sci grit his teeth. Every bone in his body wanted to toss Blue to the sharks. He was sure he could convince the others of the truth. Edge must've been thinking the same thing.

"This is bullshit. It's obviously-"

"SILENCE! THE DEAD MUSTN'T SPEAK! IT WOULD RUIN THE GAME!" Papyrus cut him off.

Sci breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Even if he wanted Blue dead, he couldn't allow it to happen.

"Is there anyone else you find suspicious?! If so, speak now! This is your last chance!"

Death was the only one who protested. Sans just sat back and accepted his fate.

"ORDER IN THE COURT! IT IS NOW TIME TO MAKE YOUR OFFICIAL VOTE! CHOOSE WISELY! THE FATE OF YOUR _AMAZING_ KING DEPENDS ON IT!"

Papyrus pointed to Sans. All eyes turned to him.

"If you believe my brother, Sans, is guilty of this heinous crime, raise your hand high!"

Fresh raised his hand and flailed it wildly, as if he believed drawing attention to himself raised the value of his vote. Error rolled his eyes and lifted his hand into the air, followed by fell Papyrus, and of course, Death. Papyrus counted silently, then pointed to the cloaked skeleton sitting in the floor.

"Now if you think it's Death, raise your hand!"

Some put their hands down while others' flew up in the air. Sci gladly voted along with them. Kicking him from the game wouldn't really make a difference in the long run. Sci still felt open and exposed, and this petty revenge didn't even come close to making them even. But still, it was satisfying to see so many people turn against him.

Papyrus counted their hands, then paused and counted again. He put his hand to his lower jaw and stared at the group with narrow eyes, then counted the total amount of players.

"ALRIGHT, WHO VOTED TWICE?!"

The skeletons exchanged glances. Some shrugged.

"I DID," Underfell Papyrus proclaimed.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"Why not?! If we keep killing, we're bound to get the Mafia eventually."

Error gave him a nod of approval.

"Good point."

Half of the others were appalled by his complete disregard for others' lives. The others seemed amused.

"What?! NO! We're not killing anyone! We're _arresting_ them!"

"Pft! As if that's any better! At least they can't torture you if you're dead!"

"Jeeze, what kinda jails have you got runnin' in Underfell?" classic Sans asked.

"IT'S UNDERFELL! What do you expect?!"

"I assure you that we do not torture our prisoners here! NOW JUST PICK ONE!" Papyrus yelled.

Underfell Papyrus looked like he was about to argue. He didn't exactly appreciate being told what to do.

"YOU KNOW WHAT? FORGET IT!"

Classic Papyrus turned to the reaper.

"DEATH-!"

"Death's dead," Error interrupted, snickering to himself.

"NO! DEATH IS UNDER ARREST FOR MURDER AND TREASON! TURN IN YOUR CARD!"

Death was already on his phone, presumably venting on some social media outlet. He held his card out with his left hand while tapping at his phone with his right.

"Fine. Whatever. You arrested an innocent man. I hope you're all proud of yourselves."

He joined Edge outside the circle. Geno shot him a smug grin.

"I am. I really am."

Sci held his breath. He knew what came next. It was going to be hard to look Edge in the eyes again after what Death had said. He used the _L word_. In Underfell, love is a weakness. A taboo. The word itself might be enough to scare Edge off. Whatever feelings he might have may be snuffed out by fear. Sci didn't want to face him. In fact, he kind of just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But he had no choice.

"After the group successfully locks Death a broom closet, the lights go out once more! Close your eyes!"

One by one, the others obeyed. Sci clenched his jaw and looked up from the carpet. With a small wave, he got Edge's attention and pointed to Blue's phone. The action itself was small, but it had a certain weight to it, like signaling for a guillotine to fall. Edge gave Sci an informal salute, and that was it. The first domino would soon fall.

Sci closed his eyes like the rest, and when Papyrus called upon the mafia to choose another victim, Edge and Blue's phone were nowhere to be found. Edge's phone was left in its place. With its shattered screen, it was less than convincing as a replacement, but it was still better than nothing.

He went along with the next kill, hardly paying any attention to who it was. None of that mattered now.

 _'_ _Should I do it?'_ Sci asked himself.

Creating a diversion would give Edge more time, but Sci was completely surrounded. His plan was practically suicidal.

 _'_ _Probably not,'_ He admitted silently, _'This is a bad idea.'_

Sci could hear Edge moving in the kitchen.

 _'_ _But that hasn't stopped me before.'_

Papyrus confirmed their kill silently.

 _'_ _Here goes nothing.'_

As soon as Blue's eyes shut, Sci made jumped to his feet and bolted towards the replacement phone. Blue opened his eyes when he heard someone storm past him.

"Sci! What are you-?"

By the time he realized what was going on, it was already too late. Sci snatched the phone and was halfway down the hall.

"HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!"

The rest opened their eyes at the sudden mayhem. Blue and his allies started after him.

"STOP HIM!" Blue's voice echoed through the house.

Sci could hear them clamoring after him. With each step, they gained on him. He didn't let himself look back.

 _'_ _Yep. I'm doomed.'_


	16. Revenge Smells A Lot Like Fire

Fear made the halls seem narrower than before. They were right on his tail, just barely out of arm's reach. Sci thought he might go deaf from the screams; they all yelled over each other like rabid dogs. He could feel someone swiping at his lab coat, trying to grab ahold. He turned sharply and skid into a wall before sprinting up the stairs.

Even as he leapt over multiple steps with each bound, he still wasn't fast enough. Someone grabs his ankle and yanked him back. Sci held onto the railing for dear life. Luckily, he managed to pull himself free, losing one of his shoes in the process.

They were relentless. Three paces later, he was caught again, this time by his upper arm. Someone else wrapped their arms around him. Sci pulled himself to the next floor despite the weight.

Trying to tug himself free proved useless, but he wasn't about to give in just yet. They were still too close to Edge for comfort. If they stopped him, it would all be over. Sci pulled his arms in through the sleeves of his lab coat and dashed away without it. His body flickered and grew transparent. Fresh tackled him to the ground mid-teleport. They began to fall in the corridor and landed on the floor of the guest bedroom that was just ahead. Sci dragged himself along the ground, trying his best to lose the parasitic demon on his back.

"UGH! GET OFF!"

"Only if you quit all up stealin' mah bro's things, dawg. Where is it? In your pocket?"

Panic lanced through Sci, giving him the strength to shove him away. Without any sense of personal space, Fresh would have no problem digging his hands in every single pocket Sci had. The thought alone was enough to make him shudder.

He scrambled to his feet and wiped around to face them. Blue and Error rushed into the room, and swap Papyrus wasn't far behind. The tall skeleton still had his hands in his pockets and walked leisurely despite the situation. It was almost more intimidating than the others' aggression. Slowly, he pulled the door shut behind him and turned the lock with a light click. As he leaned against the door, Sci wondered whether he would make it out alive. His back was to a wall, and they had him surrounded.

Error lifted one of his hands, and thin blue threads caught Sci by his very soul. Sci had known about Error's strings for a long time, but he had no idea how much they would _hurt_. They were so tight that he feared they might slice through him like razor wire. Sci choked. It felt nearly impossible to breath. Something about them neutralized his magical abilities. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't teleport away.

 _'_ _Come on, Edge. Anytime now...'_ Sci hoped his thoughts would reach him.

"Pft, WOW. Aren't you supposed to be the smart one? You could've gone anywhere, but no! You got yourself cornered! Ha!" Error mocked.

"Aww, be nice to the little guy! Sometimes it's hard to think straight when you're scared," said Blue as he took a slow step forward, "And I imagine he's terrified right now! I mean, I sure would be if were in his position. He's up here all alone and his angry cuddle bud is nowhere to be found! He could be dust in a matter of seconds! I mean, all I have to do is give the word and…"

Blue snapped, and a sadistic grin spread across Error's face. The strings began to tighten, and Sci yelped in pain. Blue gestured again, and the strings loosened. Sci clutched at his soul, gasping for air.

"Put me down," Sci managed between breaths.

"Do you see your mistake now, Sci? Do you understand where you went wrong?"

Sci stared him down, not saying a word.

"I understand that everyone makes mistakes, but boy, you sure seem to make them a lot! If you could have just accepted your situation, we could have just gone back to being friends! But instead you really got yourself in a pickle! Was it worth it?"

More strings began to appear around him. They tied themselves around his wrists and pulled his arms in opposite directions.

"You never answered my question, brofessor! Where's it at? Hold up, I think I see it."

Sci tensed, wishing with every ounce of his being that he could pull away as Fresh pulled the phone from the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"Is that a sweater under your hoodie? And you wear all that jazz all up under a fancy lab coat? All the time? How are you not dead?"

Fresh pulled curiously at the collar of his sweatshirt and took a peek at the shirt underneath.

"If I ever possess you, Imma lose the layers. No offense, brah."

"Focus, nutjob!" Error barked.

"Right! Mah bad."

To Sci's relief, Fresh backed off. Sci couldn't help but smirk. He couldn't wait to see the look on their faces.

"What time is it?" He asked.

They all looked up at him at once, caught completely off guard.

"What?"

"I'd say it's about lunch time, wouldn't you?"

Fresh handed Blue the phone. He looked at it in disbelief.

"This isn't my- WAIT A SECOND!"

His eyes went wide with realization.

"Don't worry! Edge has us covered. In fact, he's making my favorite _microwave_ meal right now! It's our own special recipe!"

 _BOOM!_

The floor shook beneath them. Following the initial explosion, there was a constant electric crackle and several deafening shrieks. The pungent scent of burning plastic filled the entire house almost instantaneously.

"Fireworks, aluminum foil, Blue's real phone, and just a dash of a cheap lighter!"

Edge's phone clattered on the ground. For a second, Blue stood frozen. The light reflected off of Sci's glasses. His devious smirk had grown to a wide, unsettling grin.

Then, all at once, everyone raced out of the room and down the stairs. The strings disappeared, leaving Sci in a heap on the floor. Shakily, he sat himself up and allowed himself to catch his breath. Everything ached. He could taste blood in his mouth. But he had never been better. It was worth it.


	17. Tag

"THERE HE IS!" A voice screamed from below, "STOP HIM!"

Sci shot to his feet. Suddenly, his pain meant nothing. He could hear footsteps storm from one end of the house to another, yelling the entire way.

"EDGE LOVES SCI! EDGE LOVES SCI!" Blue cried as loudly as he possibly could.

"BLUEBERRY LEADS A CULT! THEY SACRIFICE CHILDREN ON THE WEEKENDS!" Edge retaliated.

"THEY SNUGGLE ALL THE TIME! I HAD A PICTURE!"

"HE ALSO HAS A HAREM OF TEMMIES! IT'S DISGUSTING!"

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THE TRUTH!"

"NEITHER CAN YOU, TEMMIE FUCKER!"

Sci armed himself with a bat that was leaning up against a dresser and sped into the hall. Death stood before him, poking at Sci's tattered lab coat with his scythe.

"There you are! You dropped this."

"Wow, thanks. I hadn't noticed," Sci replied sarcastically.

He yanked it out of the scythe's reach and quickly slipped it on. Just as he was about to pass, Death stepped in the way.

"Kudos on the con job, kid. But I wouldn't go down there if I were you."

Sci stepped to the left in an effort to get around him, but Death blocked him again.

"Murderous thoughts are just as loud as self destructive ones, and lemme tell ya… Things aren't lookin' good for you."

"MOVE!"

"What? And let you get yourself killed? No offense, but I really don't feel like working on my off day."

Sci stepped forward to shove him aside, but then stopped himself. They said it was somehow safe to make contact with him for the duration of the sleepover. But that wasn't a gamble he was ready to take. That, and the scythe wasn't exactly a comforting sight. The shouting from the main floor grew louder.

"Edge is in trouble!"

The reaper shrugged.

"He got himself into this mess, and he can get himself out. Just go home."

"No _I_ got him into this mess! I'm not leaving him behind!"

"He's stronger than you. He'll manage."

Something crashed downstairs. Edge cursed loudly.

"Does that sound like managing to you?!"

Seeing that Sci wasn't about to give up any time soon, Death rolled his eye and stepped aside.

"Fine. Your funeral."

As soon as there was a gap wide enough, Sci sprinted down the hall and whipped around the corner. He was halfway down the stairs when he heard Death's voice call at him from above.

"So where do you want me to spread your dust?!"

The words barely registered in his mind. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and struggled to make sense of his surroundings. Thick, black clouds of smoke filled the entire ground floor. A bright orange glow bled from the kitchen. Embers floated through the air like fireflies. Occasionally the smoke was pierced by bright, colorful explosions that pulsed in an offbeat, chaotic rhythm like the lights at a club. In the middle of the living room, Sci could see three similar figures silhouetted in the haze. If it hadn't been for their bright eyes, it would've been nearly impossible to discern who was who.

"You've crossed a line, Edge!" Blue yelled after him, sounding betrayed.

"Yeah? Guess we have a lot in common then, don't we?!" Edge shot back, taking the words right out of Sci's mouth.

Blue leapt at him. His blue eyes burned almost as bright as the fireworks crackling around them. Edge lifted his hand, and a bone shield shot up from the ground between them. Blue ricocheted off and slammed back into the ground. Fresh grabbed him from the other side, earning him a nasty punch to the jaw. Fresh was sent down, but got up almost as soon as he hit the floor. Sci narrowed his eyes, wondering whether he could feel pain.

"Yo brosiff, that was wicked unrad! I want this radical skele-suit to last!"

"Hold him still!" Error yelled.

"You got it, homeslice!

He adjusted his glasses and came at him once more. Edge swung at him to keep him at a distance, but missed. He was off balance for just a split second, but that's all the time Fresh needed to slip behind him and wrap an arm around his neck. Strings appeared around Edge's soul, glowing like neon in the smoke. He choked and gasped. His shield crumbled and faded into nothing. Fresh backed away, his smile widening. It was three against one. Four if Papyrus ever decided to step in, wherever he was. And Edge had been rendered completely helpless.

Sci rushed in without thinking. Lifting his bat high into the air, he slammed it into the back of Error's head. The angry glitch landed on the ground, face down. His neon strings became loose before disappearing completely. Edge landed on the carpet in a heap. Sci tossed the bat aside and rushed over to the 'fell's aid.

After a few coughs, he looked up at Sci. Or perhaps past him? His eye sockets went wide.

"GET DOWN!"

"Error, STOP!" Blue yelled.

Edge leapt to his feet and tackled Sci to the ground. A split second later, there was a deafening blast and a blinding white light. A gaster blaster's beam went right over them. A hit like that might have killed him.

In that moment, though, Sci didn't have the capacity to contemplate his mortality. In fact, he could hardly string a coherent thought together at all. All he could think about was _him._ Edge's body was pressed against his own, pinning him to the floor. The shock, awe, and gratitude was mixed with a powerful reverence. Instantly, Sci was drunk on his scent. Every square inch of contact was like a shot of heroin straight to the soul. Their faces were just inches away, expressions mirroring each other, flushed with searing white eyes. Sci felt weak. It was just a few seconds, but time had slowed, and its meaning melted away.

When the blast ended, Edge glared up at the figure across the room. Sci could feel him take a sharp breath. His eye went red. Suddenly Edge's thighs tightened around Sci's hips. He grabbed Sci's shoulders and threw his weight to the side, rolling them to the left. Several crimson, glitching bones spikes up through the ground, narrowly missing the two of them. Sci scrambled to his feet and pulled Edge along with him.

Hand in hand, they sprinted into the hall. Fresh tore after them. Edge reached down with his free hand and snagged the bat on their way. As soon as he was certain they were out of their reach, Sci focused on the attic. For a moment, they were like shadows, and then they disappeared into the smoke completely, like they were never there at all.


	18. Runaway Killjoys

As soon as the two skeletons materialized in the dusty attic, they rushed straight to the bags they had left in the corner. Sci desperately riffled through his duffle while Edge stood with his back to him, on guard. His bat was held at the ready. Sci's anxiety rose with each second. It was still difficult to think straight. His entire body felt uncomfortably warm. The ache at his core was infuriatingly distracting. Sci huffed as he struggled to keep his mind on task.

"You got it?!"

"I'm trying!"

"Come on, Nerd! We don't have all day!"

Finally, Sci's hand came in contact with something cool.

"FOUND IT!"

He yanked out a small, white device about the size of calculator. After he entered his password, an emerald holographic screen flickered to life in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry! I don't have the coordinates to Underfell!" Sci admitted.

"Good. That's the last place I want to be," Edge grumbled.

"Should we go to my universe?"

"NO! Bad idea! If we go home, they'll find us."

"Do you really think Blue would chase us all the way to another universe?" Sci asked, unsettled by the thought.

"We _burned_ his _house down_."

Loud footsteps stormed up the staircase to the second floor. It wouldn't take them long to find that the duo wasn't there.

"SHIT! We need to get out of here!"

"BUT WHERE SHOULD WE GO?!"

"I DON'T CARE! ANYWHERE!"

"I don't know if traveling to a random universe is very wise. The interdimensional bridge might be stable but I'm still working out the bugs. What if we can't make it back?!"

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! JUST PUSH THE FUCKING BUTTON!"

"I don't think that's a good ide- AAAAAH!"

Sci screamed as Fresh appeared in front of them. Violet corrupted flames flickered beneath his glasses. Everything around them became covered in a dizzying array of neon patterns.

"BROS! Ditchin' this radical party after it just got _fired up_? Wiggidy what's up with that?! Don't be a couple'a killjoys."

Edge swung his bat rabidly.

"Piss off, parasite!"

Fresh remained undaunted, closing in. Sci smacked a random coordinate on his screen. A tear in reality opened up in the corner. He kicked his bag through without bothering to close it first, then Edge's along with it. Then, without giving any warning, he wrapped his arms around Edge and let his weight fall backwards.

"WAIT UP, BROS!" Fresh shouted, rushing towards them.

The others ran up the stairs just in time to see them fall headfirst through the closing portal. They descended into the unknown, leaving nothing behind but a stolen bat and a dead tamagotchi.


	19. Truce

Together they slammed into a strange world, landing painfully on a solid concrete floor. They ended up in an uncomfortable pile atop their luggage. The corner of Sci's suitcase dug into his spine. He shot up into a sitting position, eyes darting in the darkness. He could only see a few feet in every direction. The room was lit only by the shifting rainbow light that poured through the portal. The beam thinned quickly as the rift was sealed. Sci began feeling around blindly before he became aware of something in his pocket. He pulled it out and ran his thumb across its surface. It was smooth, but covered in a web of cracks and scratches. Edge's phone had somehow remained in his pocket despite the tussle. He pressed the button on the edge, and in his haste, he didn't think to angle the screen away from his eye sockets. He winced and turned it away from him, hoping Edge didn't notice.

The soft light illuminated a plain wall ahead of them. To the far right, there was a large doorway leading to a wooden staircase. Edge rushed over and slammed the door shut before flipping a lightswitch Sci didn't even know was there. The room was lit by a dim yellow light bulb. There were three others in the overhead fixture along with it, burnt out. They appeared to be in some sort of half-finished basement. The area was mostly empty, with only a bookshelf, an oversized loveseat, and an old, boxy TV. It seemed safe enough, but that didn't make them feel any less exposed.

"Where are we?! Whose house is this?" Edge asked.

"No idea," Sci answered.

"Well, it's ours now."

Together they pushed the bookshelf in front of the door, leaving any books that fell where they lay. As soon as it was in position, they took cover behind the loveseat and stared at the barricade, waiting tensely for any sign of their pursuers.

Time pressed on, and there was no sign of them. Two minutes became five, and five became ten, and still nothing happened. As they waited, a giddy realization began to set in. They turned to one another with wide eye sockets.

"We… We made it," Sci uttered in disbelief.

"Holy shit… IT WORKED!" Edge cheered.

"WE _WON!_ "

They broke into a hysterical fit of laughter. Sci expected they might laugh maniacally if they succeeded in their plan, but instead they sounded like they just got off a roller coaster. Sci's ribs hurt and tears formed in his eyes, but still, he couldn't stop. Even after they thought they had calmed down, they looked at each other and lost it all over again. They didn't stop until half an hour later, and even then they were giggly and punch-drunk.

Later, Sci knelt down in front of his bag. Half of his stuff was spilled all over the floor, but he didn't care. He grabbed himself a pillow and blanket and tossed them into the living area. He then pulled Edge's blanket from his bag, bounded over to the back of the loveseat, and tossed it over him like some cheap ghost costume.

"Ha! Thanks, Nerd," said Edge as he freed himself.

Sci smiled as he made himself a little nest of bedding at the foot of the loveseat. It didn't look all that nice. In fact, it was sort of just a pile. But it was a barrier between him and the stone cold floor, and that's what mattered.

"Is there a remote somewhere 'round here?" Edge asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I checked,"

Edge got up reluctantly and turned on the TV himself. While he was busy flipping through channels, Sci took the opportunity to hop into the loveseat. When Edge turned around, he snickered.

"What are you doing? That's my spot."

"Correction- It _was_ yours. It's mine now," Sci replied playfully.

"I was there first. See, my blanket's there and everything."

Sci took Edge's blanket and draped it over his shoulders like a cloak.

"That's mine, too."

Edge approached with slow, confident strides. Sci thought he would stop a few feet away, but instead he placed his hands on the armrests and leaned in close. Sci took a deep breath to try and get ahold of himself.

"Are you challenging me?" Edge asked with a smirk.

There was something about that question that made Sci's head rush. He would've felt threatened if he wasn't so infatuated.

"Can you really blame me? I _am_ the Minister of War, after all. A conqueror. It's in my nature."

Sci pushed his luck, curious what Edge would do.

"Yeah?"

A determined smile spread across Edge's face. He came around the chair side and climbed over an armrest. He wedged himself between the back of the seat and Sci, and gave Sci a good-natured shove. Sci struggled against him, refusing to leave the chair.

"Well, I'm a warrior. Where I come from, we don't just let people up and take our shit. We protect what's ours. So-"

Edge pushed harder, but Sci wouldn't budge.

"Move your ass!" Edge yelled, trying not to laugh.

"Make me!"

The whole thing dissolved into a light tussle. Neither of them were aware of how immature they looked, wrestling over a chair that could've easily fit them both. If they did, they wouldn't have cared. They pushed and shoved until an explosion on the television distracted them. Without even realizing it, both shifted into a more comfortable position and settled into one another. They watched about half an episode in each other's arms. Sci felt Edge pull him closer, bringing him back to reality. The television began to fade into the background.

"It would appear we've reached an impasse," Sci noted.

"Looks like," Edge replied.

"What do ya say we form an alliance?"

"Good idea. What way we can take over more chairs."

"Today, chairs. Tomorrow, the world!"

Edge laughed.

"You're a nerd," he teased affectionately.

The nerves that were wound tightly for what felt like forever were finally beginning to ease. The more Sci thought about it, the more elated he became. They were in a random corner of a single page in a book with infinite pages. No matter how taboo this was, nobody could touch them. Classic's disapproval meant nothing here, and more importantly, no one from Underfell could even look their way. Edge was safe. Sci felt like a thief getting away scot-free. Maybe he was a sinner. What were they going to do about it?

Sci nuzzled himself closer.

"You know, for someone who's known for being edgy, you're incredibly comfortable," Sci admitted.

"Yeah, 'conqueror'? ...You're not so bad yourself."

Sci smiled. His face brightened. He was the happiest he had ever been.

But at the same time, the tension in the air drove him crazy. He wouldn't admit what he was thinking. Not even to himself. But all the feelings he had while he was drunk at the Christmas party were back again, and this time they were twice as strong.

After a while, the credits rolled. Sci realized that he didn't remember a thing about what he had just seen. His eyes might have been on the screen, but his attention was somewhere else entirely.

"Can you hear that?" Edge asked, catching Sci off guard.

"Hear what?"

"Listen…"

Sci tensed and held his breath. If there were any strange sounds, it was difficult to hear them with the TV still on. Had they been found? Did the house's owner discover them? He grew irritated, less than keen on the idea of being interrupted.

"That's the sound of REBELLION!"

Suddenly Edge swept Sci into the air like he weighed nothing. Sci screamed, then giggled uncontrollably.

"TRAITOR!" he yelled dramatically.

Edge sat him down on the other side of the room and turned back for the chair. Sci teleported back into his spot just before Edge was about to jump in. He knelt one knee on the cushion beside Sci. Clearly, he was planning to pull Sci from the seat, but Sci couldn't help but notice how close he was to straddling him.

"This chair and everything in it's MINE!" Edge declared, equally over dramatic.

Sci noted his position.

"Everything?"

The question slipped out before Sci could stop it. Edge froze. His face grew red as he realized what he was asking. Sci waited anxiously. His soul felt like it might set on fire in anticipation. After the initial shock, Edge's eyes locked with Sci's.

"Everything," Edge answered finally.

For a while they just stared at each other, completely stunned.

"Is that so?" Sci asked as he tentatively reached for Edge's face, "Well, I'm taking it."

"All of it?" Edge asked, softening under Sci's touch. He lowered himself onto Sci's lap.

"All of it."

Gently, he pulled Edge's face towards his own. His kiss was soft and unsure, like he was afraid that it all might shatter. To his relief, Edge kissed back. At first, their bodies moved slowly with careful reverence, but before long, euphoria burned their fears away into nothing. The more Edge lost himself, the greedier he became. The kiss became deeper and more passionate, like they needed each other to survive. Sci melted as Edge took control, allowing him to press him into the back of the chair. All of time and space seemed to fade away. All that was left were two souls, high on each other's existence.

Edge broke away, panting heavily. When Sci opened his eyes, they were a deep emerald green, burning brighter than they ever had before.

"I surrender. It's all yours now," Sci whispered between breaths.

"We'll share. Rule side by side. Deal?"

Sci nodded.

"Deal."


End file.
